The Elemental
by epicconfusion
Summary: Harry Potter's Sixth year at Hogwarts is turned upside down with the meeting of his "bodyguard". This "bodyguard" not only is there to protect him, but has plans for themselves along the way. Who knew a love would blossom between the two?
1. Introduction

-1So, everyone has a story, right?  
Right?  
Well, long ago, a young boy was born. This young boy, though, was unlike any other. Not only was he born into a wizard family, but upon his right wrist he bore a white mark. Strange things began to happen to him. When he was upset, the wind would howl. When he was happy, a light, warm breeze would slip through every crack of his home. The parents began to wonder, "What is this child?" and, "How did he become this way?". Little did they know that their son would be the start to a long line of powerful mages that would change the course of history.  
These mages each bore marks upon their right wrists. Each new generation, the color changed, until it began a cycle. White, blue, red, green, white, blue, red, green, over and over until...  
Two of the most powerful people in the world formed one of the most sacred bonds of all. A dark, female mage with a green mark and a powerful, male wizard bore a child with a black mark on the right wrist. The wizard one day was taken away, never to be seen again from his dear mage. The mage, fearing the worst, fled from England to America, where she raised the child. Little did she know that her child would someday be the most powerful mage of all time. The mage was called the Elemental.  
So this is our story, going back in time. A time where Darkness seemed Light. A time when Cruelty was Mercy. A time where Starvation was Hospitality. A time where Death was Hope. A time when Betrayal was Honesty. A time where Battle was Peace. A time when Hatred, pure Hatred, was Love.  
The story of Alisha Lynn Hinston, the Elemental


	2. Mamma Who Bore Me

"Alisha..."

"mmah..."

"Hewwo Aweshia"

"merhamublumb..."

"Alisha, get your ass outta bed right now!"

*pumf*

"DAMNIT ALL!"

Two girls, one short with straight, blonde hair and another tall with dark black hair with a red streak stood amused at the sight of their friend. "Common, 'Lisha! Even Luci was able to get outta bed this morning!" the blonde said, "That's record. Especially you of all people. You're always the first outta bed."

"I was up late last night," she mumbled into her pillow.

"Say huh?" the tall girl, Luci, asked.

"I was up and out late last night," she repeated. The two girls raised an inquisitive eyebrow at each other before sitting on the bed.

"Doing what, Miss Hinston?" the blonde girl asked.

"I was out with-"

"Ben." they finished for her.

"Yeah, we just went out for a drive, no biggie," she said hoping her friends would just drop the subject. "I mean, we're both moving here soon, so I wanna spend as much time with him as possible-"

"Yeah, but you shouldn't stay out too late. You do have a curfew for driving. Luci and I followed that too when we were your age-"

"Chya right! I know that Luci was out with Lucas all the time," she bantered.

"Ugh, fine. Just get outta bed. Ming's waiting for you. Might not want to keep him waiting," the blonde finished and stood. She swiftly left the room, trying not to show her anger.

Luci sighed. "I should probably make sure she doesn't flip a car or something," she said as she stood.

"Lu, do you honestly blame me for being out last night?" Alisha asked looking at the girl who was practically her twin. Her blue eyes searched for the dark brown, the only difference in their looks besides Luci's newly dyed hair. When she finally met her gaze, she held it for only a few seconds before Luci looked down.

"No, if it was me and Lucas, I wouldn't leave his side! I mean, how often will you guys see each other after you move? He'll be in Seattle while you'll be in England! Just, you know how sensitive Rachael is these days. After Matt and all-"

"-Mr. Cocky-Jackass-Flirty-Mc-Emo-Pants" Alisha cut in.

"Lish (pronounced like leash), what are you gunna do when you move?" Luci asked looking deeply into her best friend's eyes.

"What do you mean what am I going to do-"

"I mean, what are you and Ben going to do?" she asked. Alisha looked down. She knew that the day where she'd have to decide was coming, and there wasn't a day where Luci wouldn't ask the same question.

"I don't know. I think I know what I'm gunna do-"

"Which is?"

"Well, we both wanna stay together," she stated. Luci sighed as she nodded and left for the door.

"Just don't keep Ming waiting too long. They're all counting on you in England to know your stuff," she said, her voice fading. Alisha gave a heavy sigh before heading to the shower. The burden of moving to England just continued to crash upon her shoulders. She was supposed to be the difference maker in this war. Her unbelievable powers over all the elements made her wanted by who ever could get their hands on her. She personally didn't believe that moving to England was the smartest idea, being right in the center of it all. But they insisted that she get to know the people she would hopefully be working with. She wasn't too thrilled either about going to a new school, being around strange people that didn't understand her powers unlike the people at her current school. Everyone knew not to mess with her. She may look weak due to her thin frame, but she was incredibly strong. No one except for the staff of the school and some guy would know of her powers, which meant loads of explanations. Also this guy that she'd be working with. Only 'What If...'s filled her mind. She would be away from her boyfriend of a year and a half and she had no idea what this new guy would be like. And she was supposed to be with him 24/7. Sounds like loads of fun.

"Alisha," a faint voice called, "Ming's waiting for you downstairs! Hurry up!"

She sighed and stepped out of the shower. Putting on her practice clothes, she quickly threw her dark brown hair into a bun and pinned her bangs back. She reached for her wand and raced down the steps. Stepping into the room, she saw her mother, looking more tired and weary by the second and Ming, her mentor. She bowed deeply to Ming and looked at her mother.

"You really should try flying down the stairs sometime. It would be a very useful skill in battle," Ming said giving her a small smile. Her mother quickly glared at Ming.

"There will be no flying in my house, take it outside if you need the practice," she said hastily, walking to the kitchen. Alisha gave a small giggle before looking at Ming.

"I'm sorry I'm late. What are we gunna be working on today?" she asked still smiling. He gazed out the window before answering her.

"I was thinking we could try and play with weather. In battle, it can be used to confuse the enemy and hide fellow soldiers," he replied. "It will take some time, though. I do not even know if it is within range of your powers. I would think so, but never before has there been a mage with your power," he finished. She pondered the idea for a minute. There had been times where when she had began to cry and it started to rain and times when she wanted it to be sunny and it was. He started for the door and walked outside. She shrugged her shoulders and followed. It was a nice, June day. A warm breeze brushed across her skin. Her baggy shorts gently pressed against her slender legs. She moved to the backyard, where Ming stood by the fence. She jogged over to him, stopping about five feet from him. "Let's start with some light exercises," he instructed.

Later:

"I'm POOPED!" she cried walking back into the house. Her mom was in the kitchen doing the dishes as she plopped down on one of the chairs.

"I can imagine. You worked hard today," the older mage said while placing a plate of spaghetti in front of her daughter. "Now eat. The carbs will help restore your strength," she commanded. Alisha obeyed and ate quickly.

"Mom, do you mind if I go to see Ben tonight?" she asked while taking another bite of spaghetti. She looked up from her plate and glanced at her mom. The woman stood in front of the sink, holding a sponge in one hand, a plate in the other. Her face was blank and unreadable. Her eyes glassy and unblinking. "Mom?" Alisha said. She snapped her fingers. "Mom..." She repeated. She snapped her fingers again, creating a small flame. She extinguished the flame and began running the faucet water until she has a small ring floating around her mother's head. "Earth to Mom!" Alisha exclaimed becoming impatient. She cut the ring and with one end, gently tapped the end of her mother's nose. Her mother suddenly jolted backwards breaking Alisha's concentration, causing the water to fall to the floor. Her mom gave her a quick glance and Alisha quickly bended the water off of the floor and into the sink.

"What was that for, Alisha Lynn?" Her mom exclaimed.

"You were just staring out the window and I was trying to get your attention. I wanted to know if I could go over to Ben's tonight," she defended. Her mother returned to washing the dishes. She gave a deep sigh.

"I guess, but I must ask, what are you going to do after we move?" she asked the young mage. The girl sighed and handed her the plate devoid of food.

"We both want to stay together, but I don't know... I've been thinking a lot lately, and it just doesn't seem like a good idea," she said quietly. She sat back down and her mother took the seat next to her.

"So what do you want, Alisha?" her mother asked, "It is after all your decision. If you want my opinion, I will give it to you, but only if you ask."

"Spill," Alisha ordered.

"Dating him could put him in danger if anyone were to find out. If you truly believe that you are going to spend the rest of your life with him, then date him," she said. Alisha sighed heavily.

"I knew this would happen," she whispered.

"Now Alisha, do what your heart tells you and what you think is right," she advised. Alisha stood up and began walking to the door. She grabbed her coat and reached for the door knob.

"Thanks, Mom," she said as she opened the door. She walked out the door and a few minutes later, heard the car starting. Light flooded the house as her daughter pulled out of the driveway.

Later: (again)

Her eyes flooded with tears. Never before did she believe that they would break-up. 'At least it was a nice, clean break,' she kept telling herself. She still loved him, but she didn't think that she loved him enough to make it, that was the hardest part. She pulled into the driveway looking into the dark windows of the house. 'That's odd, mom never goes to bed before 11,' she thought, 'Let alone, turn the lights off. Especially the front lights. She always leaves them on.' She turned the key and stepped out of the car. A gust of wind chilled her to the bone as she climbed up the steps to the front door. Fear shot through her as her hand reached for the doorknob. All happiness drained from her body as she turned the knob and opened the door.

"Mom?" she called. No answer. She hung up her coat and shut the door. "Mom?" she called a second time. The putrid smell of fresh blood lingered in the air. She walked out of the foyer and into the living room. "Mom!" she called again. Still no answer. "Mom! This really isn't funny!" she yelled. She turned and walked into the kitchen. Blood coated every surface. The table was broken in two, chairs overturned. Her body trembled in fear. Drawers were hanging open, their contents spread across the floor. Cabinets were out of their hinges, dishes and glasses shattered. Bits of cloth hung on the ceiling fan, that rotated ever so slowly. A knife covered in blood lay on the counter, the parts uncoated shone in the moonlight. The window over the sink was broken, pieces of glass were in the sink and on the counter. A cold, cruel breeze swept into the home and the curtains swayed. She shivered as leaves danced into the kitchen and around her body. A trail of blood led her to the stairs where faint cries could be heard. Alisha slowly began climbing the stairs. As she reached the top of the steps, the voices grew louder.

"No, no! Take me! Leave my daughter out of this! She never did a thing!" a woman cried from the very last room at the end of the hallway.

"Shut up, Hinston! The Dark Lord is extremely upset with you. He will be merciful to you if you hand over the girl-"

"SHE NEVER DID ANYTHING! NO! I WON'T LET YOU TAKE HER! NO! TAKE ME!" the woman cried again.

"I said shut up, Hinston!" a man yelled, "Crucio!"


	3. We Build Then We Break

"SHE NEVER DID ANYTHING! NO! I WON'T LET YOU TAKE HER! NO! TAKE ME!" the woman cried again.

"I said shut up, Hinston!" a man yelled, "Crucio!"

The woman cried out in agony. An evil cackle resounded throughout the house along with her screams. Tears began to stream down the young mage's face. She started walking to the screams, the walls spinning, in slow motion. "Mom?" her voice quivered. She blindly walked into the room where 7 people dressed in black robes surrounded her mother, wands raised, their skeletal faces glowing in the moonlight. Her mother lied on the ground, gasping for air. Her face was wet with sweat and tears, her hair mangled. Various cuts covered her skin. Blood leaked down her arms and legs. Her shirt was torn, stained with blood.

"Now Hinston, where is the girl, your precious daughter?" a man asked. One cloaked figure stepped out, wand pointed down at the woman. She raised her head quickly to the figure, glaring daggers at him.

"I'll never tell you, Malfoy," she spat. Her eyes sparkled with bravery. The man kicked her swiftly. She coughed and the man turned from her.

"Tell me, Hinston, what made you move to the states? Hm? Where's your husband? Better yet, where's your daughter? She's one of the most powerful people in the entire world right now, and she was after all promised to the Dark Lord-"

"She'll never join you!" her mother exclaimed, "I'll be dead before I see the day when she's on your side!"

"Oh really, Hinston. Give it up. With the way you're talking you'll end up just like your- mutt," the man called Malfoy said. His voice was strong and taunting.

"Don't talk about him like that! He did not do anything wrong!-"

"FOOL!" cried Malfoy, "Oh, you ignorant woman! He defied the most powerful wizards of all time! You should be thankful that he's even alive!"

"He's as good as dead, though! He will never be free- never, never, never- all thanks to you and your crowd of- lemmings!"

"You have no respect! You are as good as dead to me. Say good-bye, Hinston! Avada Ke-"

Suddenly, a window burst open and a strong gust of wind threw the man to the wall. There stood Alisha, arms controlling the wind. Her eyes glowed a bright silver as power rushed through her veins.

"Don't- Touch- Her," she seethed. A violent wind knocked some people down to the floor where they shook in fear. A bright flame erupted from her palm as she roared into the sky, seeking revenge. The flame burst into a whip of fire and scorched the ground and the few still standing. Her movements were swift and powerful, no mercy being shown to the masked strangers. Whipping the flame around the room and setting it ablaze, her mother stood up and made a break for Alisha. She grasped her daughter's arms and placed them on her sides. Her body weakened under her mother's touch. Tears replaced the glowing and flowed down her delicate face.

"Go, Alisha! Go the the fire place, grab some powder, and go to the Burrow! Go, NOW!" her mother pleaded. Her eyes shone from tears and she gently pushed her daughter away. "Go, GO!" she cried. Alisha gave one sorrowful glance to her mother and dashed down the stairs. She grabbed her wand and grabbed a handful of floo powder. She staggered into the fireplace, tripping over old wood.

"The Burrow!" she screamed throwing the powder to the base of the chimney. A blast of purple light grazed her face as she flew up and away. She cried out in agony as the curse made a deep gash on her face. Her eyes streamed with tears as she landed with a thud at her destination.

"You can't do that Gin, that's cheating!" Ron yelled at a girl that looked a little younger than him. She twirled her red hair around her pointer finger as her eyes danced around the room. She wasn't paying much attention making Ron angry. She finally snapped back to reality as the boy across from her glared daggers at her.

"What do you mean, Ronald? That's not cheating, that's just you being a sore loser," the girl replied,

"Just because I can beat you at Wizard's Chess does not give you the right to say that I'm 'cheating'."

"But you can't beat me Ginny! I've always beat you!" Ron cried. Ginny glanced quickly at Ron and was about to retort when a scream filled the air. Her eyes popped with shock as a thud sounded in the fire place. Crying and screaming flooded the room as a girl a little older than Ginny stumbled out and collapsed on the floor in front of them. Ginny immeadiately turned the game over and rushed to the girl.

"Mum! Dad! Bloody Hell where are you?" Ron shouted, "Get in here! Hurry! Quick! There's a girl and she's bleading!" Ron rushed out of the room and Ginny tried to attend to the girl. Her face was soaked in sweat and tears and a large cut scarred her beautiful face. Her clothes were wet and slightly burnt in some areas. She gasped for air as if she couldn't breath otherwise. Ginny grabbed her limp body and held her in her lap. Suddenly, a middle-aged man and woman ran into the room. The man pulled the girl from Ginny's arms and muttered a few words. Instantly, the cut on her face vanished from her skin. The woman placed a cool, wet cloth on her forhead. The continued to examine her for anymore injuries when Ginny stood up and took a good look at the girl. She was beautiful, minus her current condition. Her hair, though somewhat tangled, was a dark brown with some light copper tints. Her light, blue-gray eyes were captivating and her delicate face shone from the sweat and tears. Her chest rose and fell quickly as she continued panting. Her clothes were burnt in some areas and soaked from sweat. Suprisingly, though, she bore no burnts on her skin. It seemed a flawless ivory. Her breathing slowed and she glanced up at the woman. Suddenly, the woman gasped and stood up.

"No, it can't be," she breathed as she stared at the young girl. The man looked quickly up at her, startled.

"What's wrong, dear?" he asked.

"She's- she's- that's- Hinston's-" she said as her balance wobbled. She began to faint when the man stood up and saved her from her fall.

"What do you mean, Molly? Debora never had a child-"

"Yes they did, Arthur. A girl, about 16 years ago. Alisha Lynn-" she gasped as she fainted. The man named Arthur set her gently in a chair as he made his way over the the young girl.

"My God, it is true. Alisha Lynn," Arthur whispered. He lifted her up and carried her to a couch and laid her down.

"What do you mean Dad? Who is she?" Ron spoke for the first time in a while. He sat down on the arm of the chair his Mum was in, head in his hands. "Who is this girl?" he asked.

"Ronald, take your sister upstairs and go to bed," Arthur said quietly.

"But Dad-"

"No buts! To bed, both of you!" he yelled angrily. Ron stood and grabbed Ginny's arm.

"Come on Gin, let's go," he said quietly.

"But who is she?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter! Obviously, we don't have a right to know!" Ron retorted. Ginny gazed at the girl on the couch as her brother grasped her arm and began pulling her out of the room. He dragged her all the way upstairs and she barely noticed. He let go of her as they passed her door. "Good Night, Gin," he said sourly. She absent mindedly walked into her room and lied down in bed. 'Who was that girl? and Where did she come from?' she asked herself. She drifted off into a deep sleep where visions of the girl pleagued her mind.

"Ginny, get up. Let's go," someone breathed into her ear.

"Go where?"

"That girl. Let's go!" they whispered more harshly this time. Ginny pulled the covers off and quietly slipped out of bed. She silently followed her brother down the many stairs. The wind whistled its quiet tune of the night. A few morning birds made their first call of the day. On the horizon, a slimmer of orange shone on the earth. The sky was still illuminated by the moon and stars. Ron stopped as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "Damn," he muttered. Ginny peered past his shoulders to the main living room where the girl was the night before. She looked to the couch, expecting to find a sleeping figure but found nothing. A blanket was partially on the floor, the pillow with an indent in the center, but no girl. Utter disappointment flooded Ginny. She didn't know if her curiosity could bear this torture for much longer. She gave a quiet sigh and looked down.

"What are we lookin' at?" a voice whispered behind her. Their breath was cool and fresh as it made contact with her neck.

"Oh, bugger off, Fred," Ginny replied harshly.

"Who the hell is Fred?" the voice asked. Ginny rolled her eyes then stopped breathing. That wasn't Fred's voice, or any man's voice at all. It was a girl's. Ginny twirled around inhaled fiercely, nearly falling down and taking down Ron in the process. There right behind her stood the girl. She was even prettier now that she seemed more- collected. She wore a pair of extremely baggy sport shorts and a white camisole. Her ivory skin shined in the moonlight and her blue-gray eyes twinkled like the stars. Her hair looked damp and was pinned up in a messy bun. She smiled innocently as Ron grasped onto Ginny as Ginny tried to regain her breath. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare ya or anything. I was just curious of what was so interesting to you two," she said calmly as she walked past Ron and Ginny. She took a seat at the kitchen table infront of a glass of water. Crossing her knees, she took the glass in her right hand and drank half of its contents in one gulp. As she drank, the sun's light poured through the window, revealing a black tatoo on her wrist. The two of them stared at the girl in bewilderment. "Umm... I feel rude saying this, but you guys can sit down here with me. I mean, it is your house and all and I don't bite... well, I do, but I don't have rabies... and I'm just gunna shut up now," she said blushing a little. Ron slowly made his way to the table and sat down across from her cautiously as Ginny followed in a trance. She was absolutely hypnotized from this girl and she had no idea why. Sure, she was pretty, but there was something about her. She had this sort of- auora about her. Like nothing could go wrong if you were near her. But then scenes from the night before entered her mind. The brutal pictures of her scarred face and tattered clothes made her think otherwise. Who was this girl?

"I'm Ron, and this is my little sister, Ginny," Ron said breaking the silence, "Fred is one of our brothers. He has a twin named George, but you don't need to worry about them."

"I'm Alisha. Pleasure to meet you," said Alisha with a warm smile. She glanced back and forth at the brother and sister for a few moments, then averted her gaze to the rest of the room. "Wow, this place is-"

"Sorry, it's a bit of a mess here," interjected Ron, "We're going to be going back to school here soon. Hogwarts, have you heard of it?"

"Not a whole lot. We're kinda outta the loop in the states," she replied. She seemed absolutely fascinated by the clock that showed where all the Weasley children were, even though she didn't know who any of them were besides Ron and Ginny. She started to reach for her glass without loosing contact with the clock and knocked it over. She quickly averted her gaze back to the table, eyes open in surprise. "Sorry, my B," she said picking up the cup.

"My B?" Ginny said speaking to her directly for the first time (not counting the night before or her mistake of calling her Fred).

"My B, like my bad. My friends and I say it all the time. I guess we're just to lazy to say bad," she said placing her hand under her chin. She looked thoughtfully out the window and her eyes became glossy. As if they were two mirrors reflecting the fact that she wasn't at home. Quickly, though, she regained her composure as Ron asked her another question.

"The States, huh?"

"Yeah, I went to a small wizardry school in Iowa called Cambridge. Nice school, gotta _love_ the weather there," she said. She still looked around the room, gathering her surroundings. Her face was suddenly covered in shock. "Oh my God, you guys- you- wizards- are- I'm so sorry! I just- just assumed- oh shit! Me and my big mouth! I mean- you- you guys are wizards, right?" she said quickly. The two siblings were surprised by her sudden Class C freak-out (don't worry, you'll get the classes later). Honestly, what person in the wizarding world didn't know of the Weasleys and their impact on the wizarding community.

"Yeah, our family's full of them. Can't get enough of those witches and wizards," Ron joked shakily. Ginny was glaring now at Alisha confusedly (is that even a word? LoL, sorry, back to le story!). Alisha awkardly returned the glance then looked away back to scanning the room. Not breaking her stare, Ginny opened her mouth, but nothing audible came out. Ron gave her a quick nudge and Ginny turned and glared at him. What was wrong with her? Usually it was Ginny being the social bird and Ron being the akward, gawky stranger. Especially with girls! Really pretty girls! Ron gave her yet another nudge and she turned her attention back to Alisha.

"What's that Tatoo thing on your wrist?" she finally got out. Alisha made eye contact with her again but this time her eyes were filled with this burning intensity. All of Ginny's guards backed down as she felt like her eyes had just melted from her stare. Alisha's eyes softened and she placed her arm on the table.

"This is my mage mark and I am, therefore, a mage. I can control different elements and weather and other stuff like that. Most mages marks are either white, green, red, or blue but mines black I think because I can control all the elements. Some people call me 'The Elemental' but I hate it. It makes me seem so-"

"-Condescending?" Ron finished. She nodded. "You sound like my good mate, Harry," he said.

"Harry? Damn why does that name sound so freaking familiar?" she said.

"Harry Potter, you know, 'The Boy Who Lived', 'The Chosen One'-"

"'The Bloody Idiot'," chimed Ron. Alisha smiled.

"I knew I heard that name somewhere, but only from those titles a few times. All I know is that I'm supposed to work with him or something when I move to England, which reminds me. Pardon my bluntness, but where the hell am I?" she said.

"Alisha, you're in England. This is our house, commonly known as The Burrow," Ginny replied. With that, Alisha stood up abruptly surprising the two.

"The Burrow- What happened last night?" she said holding her head with both hands. The siblings looked at one another trying to find an answer, but neither had a clue. "I- I was- I was with Ben- a-and we- w-w-w-we just- just broke up-," she said as she began to shake. Ron and Ginny rushed to either side of her and set her down gently where she was previously seated. "I- I came- c-c-came h-home, a- and she was- sh-she wasn't- wasn't there. I h-heard her sc-sc-scr-scream! I heard her sc-scream! A-and there- th-there were many- m-many people wearing m-masks. Skeleton m-m-masks! And- And they were yelling- C-Crucio! Crucio!-" she began sobbing uncontrollably, "-Crucio! But she wouldn't g-give in! They'd never have me! I'd never j-join them! Then he- he started t-talking about- about my dad! She still didn't g-give give in! Never! she said. Never- NEVER!" She completely broke down then. Ginny sat down next to her exchanging worried looks with her brother. They barely knew this girl and here she was in their kitchen having small talk when she started having a nervous break down! She wrapped her arms around the weeping girl as she burried her head in her shoulder. She gently rubbed her back in an attempt to comfort her. It worked and her sobs turned to soft tears. "She- She told me to come here. To The Burrow," she continued, "I'm sorry for just melting down like this. I mean- well- yeah, sorry."

"It's fine. Sadly, we get this a lot," Ginny said trying to lighten the mood. Alisha gave a small smile and Ginny returned it. It was nice, having someone new around. All Ginny could think about now was how things were going to change. Maybe for the worse, but hopefully for the better. She may not have come here on her own free will, but she was here. And because she was here, everything was going to change.


	4. The Reason

**Hello! Well, This is the ever-so-lovely Chapter 3 and I realized that I haven't ever left an author's note at the beginning or the end of any of these! (silly me...)**

**Well, my name is epicconfusion (if you didn't already know) and I am a newer user here on fanfiction. I have read many stories here on fanfiction but finally decided to put one of my stories up on this site after some of my content got deleted on another website for... mature content. **

**I was very excited to post this (so excited I forgot to leave a note) and I hope you enjoy. Feel free to message me, rate, critique, or simply comment on the story. All commentary is welcome and greatly appriciated.**

**P.S. I'll try and update frequently. I try to be a few chapters ahead so if you're really nice, I'll release 2 chapters in a week. XD**

**~epicconfusion**

Sunlight illuminated the earth. The morning doves sang their sweet tune into the late July air as the grass danced in the wind. Trees shook out their stiff limbs and the bright morning took it's first breath of the day. The small garden gnome stuck its head out from it's home and cackled. Seeing that the coast was clear it crept to a row of plants. The small creature looked both ways quickly, then moved it's tiny hands tword one of the stems poking out of the ground. It grasped the top and tugged with all its might. A great pull and a pop later, the gnome flew back, an orange vegetable in hand. The gnome squeeled and hugged the carrot as if it was the greatest treasure to behold.

Crack.

The gnomes ears pinned back.

Heavy breathing.

It's eyes narrowed.

A russel came from behind the critter.

Pumph.

"EEEEEEEEEEE!" the gnome squeeled. Its precious carrot in hand, it ran to its home in the ground. Foot steps trailed behind him. The creature looked over its' shoulder and squeeled again as the footsteps came closer and closer. It jumped into the hole and it was soon covered. A boy growled above. The gnome cackled again, triumphant to return with food.

"Ste-rugglin' Ron," Alisha laughed making her way to the dirt-covered teen. He grumbled and stood in front of the girl. She was only a few inches shorter than him. Her copper brown hair, again up in a bun, shimmered in the light. Her once fair skin looked darker from being outside so much. Her blue-grey orbs flickered playfully and she smirked. Wearing only a green tank-top and a pair of white sport shorts, she lifted her forearm. The ground beneath them shook and from the hole, the gnome, the carrot, and a fountain of soil erupted from the earth. Alisha snatched the creature as the fountain began to flow back to the ground. It struggled against her grasp, trying to break free. She took the carrot and the creature began to wail reaching back for the stolen vegetable. The gnome pouted in defeat.

"Show off," Ron mummbled under his breath. He was still adjusting to the whole "mage" thing. Alisha had been at the Burrow for a little over 2 weeks now and he still would get a little freaked when she would use her powers. Thankfully she was getting used to the home now. She was a little frightened when she met the twins, but they got along famously now. Everyone at the house was so welcoming. She was really getting attatched to Ginny and Ron.

"Just wait 'till you get a load of _this_, Ginger," she said. She then tossed the gnome into the air. A loud, long squeal escaped its mouth as she used air to blast the gnome far away into the country. "I'd like to see him find his way back," she said, clapping her hands together. She turned on her heel and resumed the scavange for more devious gnomes.

"Show-off," he mummbled again. The two walked several times around the garden then went back inside for some food. Today was their last day at the Burrow for a long time. They would soon be going to Grimauld Place, the dingy headquarters for the Order, and probably wouldn't return to the Burrow until the end of the war. It was a wonder why they were able to stay for so long in their countryside home, but no surprise that it was time to leave. Voldemort was recruting again and killing anyone who was against him. The Burrow was probably one of the most dangerous spots on the planet. Not only was the house filled with "Blood Traitors", but it also hosted the Elemental. Yeah. Feel real safe at home.

"Oi! Ronnie-kins! Be a dear and set the table for your ol', dear brothers," one of the twins yelled, shoving an armful of plates into him.

"And wash the dishes too for me," the other twin said. Ron scowled as the two gave him a pat on the back and dashed out the door. Ron set the plates down on the table and distributed them to their designated places. Alisha helped him, grabbing forks and spoons and placing them on either side of the plates. Ron called to the rest of the family and everyone crowded into the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley placed pots and pans filled with food on the table as everyone began to dig in. The entire family (minus the twins and Percy) was home for the very last time. Bill and Fleur were there. Charlie had gotten back from Romania to join the Order. The twins, although not there at the moment, were off at the store doing some last minute business. Arthur didn't have to be at the Ministry until later in the day. As they all filled their plates, the _rare_ topic of school came about.

"Oh, Alisha, you're a shoe-in for Griffindor"

"Not a doubt about it"

"Eye zink shee'll bee in Ufolpuff"

"Don't be absurd, Fleur, I'm sure she'll be in Slytherin"

"Hey, watch yourself Ginger. I've heard the stories," Alisha said pointing her fork at Ron. Ron grinned mischieviously as she raised one eyebrow at the boy. Everyone else resumed eating. After breakfast (and Ron doing the dishes :P), everyone went upstairs to pack their belongings and prepare to go to Grimauld Place. Alisha and Ginny folded their clothes into their suitcases in silence. Tears began to form in Ginny's eyes as she packed away her final piece of clothing.

"Alisha?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we'll ever come back?" she said zipping one side of the suitcase.

"I'm sure we will Gin," she reassured. She walked over to her and placed a comforting hand on her upper arm.

"I mean, will we all ever come back? Everybody," she said. Her stiffled a few sobs and reached for Alisha's hand. Her eyes became redder by the minute and tears streamed down her delicate face. Their eyes locked and the two searched for the true answer in eachother, but found nothing. Ginny looked down.

"Gin. it'll be okay. We just have to wait, and stay strong. Stay strong, for everybody," she cooed. 'Stay strong, for everybody.' That's what they had to do. That's what she had to do. Be strong for Ginny, for the Weasleys, for the world. She wrapped her arms around her for a long hug. The two went back to packing, this time even quieter than before.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Later ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Just hold onto me and we'll be there sooner than you know it,"

"But I hate apparating!"

"Alisha, this is not a time to be difficult!" Mrs.  
Weasley scolded.

"But- but-"

"Just do it you baby!" Ron sneered, "I just want to get there so we can see Harry."

"Jeeze is that all you talk about, Ron? Your perfect, little boyfriend Harry-"

"He is **NOT** my BOYFRIEND!"

"Ronald! Alisha! Stop this instant!" Mrs. Weasley cried, "You will apparate with Charlie and I don't want to hear you teasing him like that. You, will not call her names!" Ron's head dropped and his father akwardly placed his arm around his son.

"Very well then. Best be on our way," Mr. Weasley said. He raised his wand and with a pop, they were gone. Next, Bill and Fleur apparated separately closely followed by Ginny and Mrs. Weasley.

"Just take my hand and you'll be there before you know it," Charlie said reaching his hand out to her. She sighed and grabbed his hand, defeated. He raised his wand and suddenly she felt like she was being pushed through a tube that obviously didn't want her to get through. Then, as quick as the pain came, it left. She took a deep breath but started a coughing fit. The dust and humitity of the new surroundings was overbearing. She opened her eyes to find herself in was appeared to be a poorly lit living room. Bill and Fleur were standing in the entrance of the room. Mrs. Weasley was behind them with Ginny trying to get past. Mr. Weasley and Ron were nowhere in sight.

"Hermione!" someone exclaimed. Ron. Alisha sighed and made her way past Bill and Fleur. Ron was hugging a shorter brunette with curly, slightly frizzy hair. They pulled away from eachother and made eye-contact. Her eyes were a deep brown and they sparkled slightly.

"Good to see you too, Ron," she said. Alisha could see the back of his ears turn a slight shade of pink. 'A-ha! So this is his true lover' Alisha thought devilishly with a smirk crawling across her face. The girl, Hermione, then turned to Alisha. "And you must be Alisha! I've heard lots about you. I'm Hermione Granger," she said with a warm smile. Alisha returned the smile and shook her hand.

"I hope they aren't bad things, knowing Ginger here... but yeah, I'm Alisha, obviously," she said. Hermione laughed.

"Ginger? That's a new one," she said turning back to Ron. He turned and even deeper shade of pink and Alisha giggled. Hermione then greeted Ginny and the others, all with hugs and smiles.

"Where's Harry?" Ron asked Hermione when she was done. 'Gosh, can't stop thinking about Harry now, can he? I guess sweetheart Hermione has some competition,' Alisha thought. She diverted her attention to Hermione, who's smile had disappeared.

"He's upstairs. I'm sure he'll be glad to see you, but... you know," she replied. She bit her bottom lip and Ron nodded. He and Ginny began to climb up the stairs. They were about to disappear from sight when Ginny beckoned the two to follow. Alisha looked at Hermione who started after them. She shrugged her shoulders and followed Hermioned up the stairs. The dark stairs creeked with each step. Mounted on the walls were heads of house elves. They walked by a window with tattered curtains. Suddenly, the curtains of the "window" opened with a loud shriek. A picture of a woman began screaming.

"TRAITORS! MUDBLOODS! OH, THE SHAME! IN MY HOUSE! WHY? WHY IS ONE OF MY OWN BLOOD FOLLOWING A MUDBLOOD! OH, THE SHAME! THE DISGRACE! _MY OWN BLOOD_!" the portrait shrieked. Hermione rushed down to the picture and began tugging at the curtains.

"Oh, come on you stupid woman! Quiet down!" Hermione yelled pulling with all her might at the curtain. Charlie then came into view and started pulling at the other.

"ORDERS! I'M RECIEVING ORDERS FROM THE MUDBLOOD! OH KREACHER! HELP MISTRESS! THE SHAME, THE SHAME!" the portrait cried, "OH MY OWN BLOOD, HOW COULD YOU BETRAY ME!" Bill came up the stairs and took the curtain that Hermione was at. "MY OWN BLOOD! MY OWN BLOOD!" she shouted over and over again. Hermione then glanced at Alisha then back at the portrait. She looked over Alisha carefully and then observed the woman one last time before the brothers closed the curtain over her yelling face. Hermione looked at Alisha again, looking her up and down.

"What?" she asked akwardly.

"Sorry, just, oh, nevermind," she said, "Up to meet Harry now! You'll like him, he's just going through a rough time right now. Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," replied Alisha. Hermione brushed past her and continued up the stairs. Alisha followed, climbing the steps to her new home, not really knowing who she was about to meet. Little did she know... so little.

Hermione continued walking up the stairs until they had reached the first floor. She took a right turn and Alisha followed closely at her heels. The creaked underneath, the whole house seemed to be a disaster. She could hear voices, angry voices, nearby. She picked up one of the voices to be Ron's, but the other was undefinable. The closer they got, the louder and angrier the voices got.

"I don't need a bloody bodyguard!"

"Harry, it's for your own protection! Besides, you don't even know her!"

"Exactly! I don't know anything about her! Nothing! What if we can't trust her!"

The two of them had reached the room.

"I trust her Harry, so does Ginny, my whole family, the Order, you're the only one who-"

"I'm the only one? If I remember correctly, you were with me when we first found out!"

"Both of you stop it!" screamed Ginny.

"Yeah! You tell 'em Gin! Whoo-hoo!" Alisha hollered. Just then, all eyes turned to the doorway where Hermione and Alisha stood. There stood Ron and another boy she didn't know, presumably this Harry she'd heard so much about, and Ginny sitting on a chair across from the bed. Alisha akwardly shifted her weight to her heels, folding her hands infront of her. "Sorry," she explained, "just wanted to join in on the... fun..." Ron rolled his eyes and Ginny gave a small sigh of relief.

"Thank you," she mouthed to Alisha. Alisha nodded and walked over to the stranger who had given up and sat on the bed.

"Hi. I'm Alisha. Sorry about interrupting your little shouting duel it just looked like so much fun and I just had to join," Alisha said extending her arm. The boy looked at her hand as if it were a deadly disease that would infect him if he did so much as think of touching it. He hesitantly shook it and cleared his throat.

"I'm Harry Potter," he said.

"Well Harry, can I clear a few things up for ya here?" she asked. Harry rose an eye brow and she quickly responded, "Yeah, I don't know if you need a 'bloody bodygaurd', but 1. I'm not bloody. Well, I am on the inside, but when I think of bloody, I think covered in blood. If after that you still think I'm bloody, it's time to visit the eye doctor again and 2. You don't really have to think of me as a 'bodyguard'. I'm here to live my life too you know. Now if the people around you care about you so much as to displace me from my home and move me all the way out here, leaving my friends and family behind just so I can protect you if need be, then you better damn well be grateful." She then quickly exited the room. Ginny ran after her, Ron rolled his eyes again and Hermione and Harry were dumbfounded.

"That's Alisha for you," Ron said after a few moments of silence. Hermione walked over to the chair and sat down in a trance.

"I certainly didn't expect that," she said running her fingers through her hair, "She seemed so nice-"

"-She is nice, 'Mione. Just give her time. I just don't think she appericiated-"

"-Appericiated what, Ron?" Harry interjected.

"You distrusting her before you even knew her!" He replied hotly. He clenched his fists together about ready to hit Harry. He may be his best mate, but who was he to be saying this about the girl who was practically his sister?

"Both of you stop! We are not going to reinact that previous scene!" Hermione shouted. Ron's fist began to uncoil and Harry turned away. Ron gave a pleading glance at Hermione and she nodded. "Harry, you have to give this a chance. Give her a chance. If the Weasleys like her and trust her, I think you and I can too," she said. Harry sighed.

"But how can I trust her when I know nothing about her?" he asked.

"Best thing I can tell you mate is try to get to know her. She's really cool once you do," said Ron giving him a pat on the back. The trio sat in silence for a few moments.

"It's strange," said Hermione. The two looked at her.

"What is?" asked Ron.

"When we were coming up here, Mrs. Black's portrait opened up," she said.

"That bloody portrait, when will they just take it down?" cried Ron.

"As I was saying, when I looked at the portrait, I saw a lot of resemblances between her and Alisha. Minus the hair, of course. But I found it strange. It was like looking at the same person, twice," she said. She looked up at the other two who were staring at eachother.

"I should probably go talk to her, shouldn't I?" Harry said, defeated. He looked up and both of his friends nodded. With another great sigh, he stood and walked out of the room to find the girl.

"I can't believe he's so insensitive!" stormed Alisha, pacing about the room. Ginny sat in fear on the bed as the room quickly rose in temperature. "Who does he think he is? The king of the world? How could he speak to his own best friend like that? I can't believe he'd be so upset just because there was now someone there to protect him. Ungrateful little- I had to leave a lot you know! All my friends, Ming, my ex-boyfriend... my mom," she began to tear up a little, but her sorrow quickly transformed into rage. "I don't even know if she's alive! I can't believe someone could be so selfish and self-righteous! 'Well, I don't need a bloody bodyguard!' I mean seriously! He's lucky that I haven't left to get on the next flight back to America!"

"Alisha! Calm down! He's just going through a really tough time right now. I'm sure he doesn't mean it-"

"Sure as hell he doesn't mean it! Tough time- tough time! Hell, I had to leave everything- everything just so I could be the protection if he needed it! He probably doesn't even need it, he probably doesn't do anything besides go to school and mope all day!" she raved. The room was getting hotter and hotter and Ginny began to sweat.

"Alisha, you're making the room really hot. Calm down!" she yelled in desperation. Alisha immediately stopped her pacing. She took a deep breath in and then took a cool breath out. The room instantly went back to it's normal temperature and Ginny relaxed. Alisha sat down on the floor infront of Ginny, cross-legged with her head in her hands.

"What am I supposed to do, Gin? Beg for his forgiveness just so he'll like me when I did nothing wrong?" she asked nearly in tears.

"I wouldn't say that you'd have to do that, but keep in mind that you're not the only one who's endured hardships. From what I've heard, the reason why he doesn't want a bodygaurd is because all the people he's around end up getting hurt or killed. He's afraid of people dying because of him," replied Ginny. Alisha looked up at her. She looked like an innocent child who had just found out that they had told a lie and that lies were wrong. Her eyes glimmered in the lamp light and her face shone with fresh tears. Ginny stood up and wiped the tears from her face. "He's just stupid for trying to be noble. I'll leave you alone. If you need anything, I'll be downstairs," she said and left the room.

'... the reason why he doesn't want a bodygaurd is because all the people he's around end up getting hurt or killed. He's afraid of people dying because of him...' replayed in her mind over and over again. 'That must mean that some have died and he blames it on himself,' she concluded. With that, there was a knock on the door. She took a deep breath.

"Who is it?"

"Uhh... It's Harry. Can I come in?"

"I don't know, can you?"

"Excuse me?"

"I certainly don't know your abilities, let alone you know anything about you. Or you me,"

"What?"

Sigh...

"May I come in?"

The door opened and there stood Alisha right before him. Her eyes were puffy and a little red around the edges. The tip of her nose was slightly red as well and her cheeks were a light shade of pink. He stared straight into her eyes and was caught off guard. Her blue-grey eyes shined with a dark intensity and her face was as stiff as a stone.

"May I help you, sir?" she sneered. Harry sighed and looked down to the floor.

"Iwurnteddo-"

"-What? Sorry, it's hard to understand when your mumbling."

"I wanted to-," he said very loudly then paused, realizing how loud he was, "I wanted to- apolgize for my behavior earlier. I'm, sorry."

"Okay," she said, emotion unchanged. He stood there akwardly in the doorway wishing she would say something else. When she didn't, he was about to speak but then she sighed and said, "You gunna just stand there, or what?"

"Sorry?"

"You can come in, you know. Unless you perfer just standing out here-"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, may I?" he said blushing. She smiled and ushered him in when he felt something weird, as if his heart skipped a beat. He ignored the feeling and walked in. Standing in the middle of the room, she walked past him and jumped onto the bed. Lying on her back with her hands behind her head, she looked quite different. She was actually very pretty, her brown hair sprawled out on the pillow, her small but curvy frame resting on the mattress. He remembered her eyes and the way they bore into his own-

"Pop a squat, Harry," she said patting the mattress. He snapped out of his thoughts and sat down on the bed beside her. She twirled her hair and he glanced about the room. The bedside table was covered with dust as well as the objects upon it. It was a small room, one full size bed, a bedside table, a dresser, a window, and a few pictures adorning the walls. The window was covered by dirty, torn curtains and small insects infested the cloth. Everything in the room was coated in a layer of dust besides the bed. He looked from the foot of the bed all the way up to the head, observing Alisha. 'Very pretty,' he thought. Her skin looked like porcelain and her lips were a rosy red. Her cheeks were an even lighter shade of pink now and her eyes sparked with energy. "So what was the real reason why you are so upset with my presence?" she asked. She turned her head towards him and folded her hands over her stomach. "Assuming you still are upset of course," she finished.

"No, I'm not really- well, I am- but- I don't hate you. I just don't want- want you- here," he said nervously. He looked at her to see her with one eyebrow raised.

"Thank- you?" she said.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, not like that. I'm just... I'm just a- magnet for-"

"Danger?" she finished. Harry sighed and looked away. He then felt a warm hand on his own. He looked down to see her hand wrapped around his. "Look, I don't even know you. I don't know what you've been through, what's happened to you, what your middle name is. All I know is that I'm supposed to be here to protect you and help you in any way needed," she said, "I don't know a thing about this war except you and this Voldy-freak and I can't imagine what your going through. Well, that would probably be because I don't know anything about you but that's not the point. The point is, I'd like to get to know you so this whole 'protecting' thing can be a lot easier. Who knows? Maybe we'll end up being friends." She smiled at him and gave his hand a light squeeze. She then put her hands back under her head and scooted over on the bed. "Go ahead and lie down if you'd like. I'd think it to be a little more comfortable and not to worry, I don't have cooties," she said. He smiled and lied down next to her. His body was still tight, still feeling akward lying down next to a girl who he hardly knew, not to mention an attractive girl who hated him not to long ago. "So tell me a little bit about yourself," she said.

"Like what?" he asked.

"How about... your middle name," she answered. He laughed and he felt his body relax into the mattress as time progressed. They began talking and they never stopped. Just one question after the next. He'd ask, then she's ask, he was enjoying himself so much.

"So, got a girlfriend?" she asked. Harry felt himself go red at the cheeks. He could feel her smile as she looked over to him and he blushed even more.

"This one girl, Cho Chang. Last year," he answered truthfully. He saw one eyebrow rise and he laughed nervously.

"Details?" she inquired.

"She cried the first time we kissed and ran out sobbing on our first date," he said with a sigh. She sighed two and they sat in silence for a few moments for the first time in a while.

"Man... that bad, eh?" she said. He nudged her and she laughed and placed her hands back behind her head. "I'm just teasing you, Potter. What's the real reason why she cried?" she asked.

"Well, her ex-boyfriend had just died a year earlier. I was there when he died. I guess I reminded her of him or was a connection to him for her some how," he said. Alisha turned onto her side, facing him, her head proped up underneath her elbow.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice soft. Harry sighed and told her of the Triwizard Tournament and the graveyard. He then went into an in depth explaination of Voldemort, how he had defeated him, all the times he had tried to reincarnate himself, and his experience at the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic. He told of his parents, Cedric, and Sirius's deaths and began to cry silently when he spoke of Sirius. He felt her hand find his and intwine with his fingers. The temperature of her hands rose to a nice, warm heat. Her touch was soothing and comforting. He then turned to her and saw her staring at him. They lied there for a long time, just looking into eachothers eyes, hands intwined, in silence. She gave his hand a light squeeze and let go of his hand. Part of him wished that she hadn't but he pushed those thoughts aside. "Sorry if me holding your hand was akward," she said breaking the silence.

"No it-" he swallowed, "-it wasn't." They sat in silence again for a while. "Thank you, actually. It... helped," he said. She smiled and he returned the smile. Her smile was... beautiful.

'Shut-up Harry!' he thought, 'You barely even know the girl.'

'But you've already told her her life story basically'

'So! Doesn't mean I know her'

'Doesn't mean it's weird to think that she's pretty'

'Well... whatever. I still don't know her'

"You okay, Harry?" Alisha asked, inturrupting his thoughts. "Didn't mean to take you outta your little reverie there-"

"No, it's fine. I'm okay," he replied, his smile even bigger. He observed her facial features carefully now. Suddenly, a spark flew back into his memory. Mrs. Black and Alisha. There were so many resemblances. Another spark. Sirius. Maybe she could help him. Help not only by protecting him, but by being his friend. Help him through his pain. Help him through grieving. Help him through everyday life. Help him accept his future. Maybe, just maybe, she could his Reason. The Reason.


	5. Dark Blue

**I'm feeling really nice this week. Or maybe I'll just change my... whatever. I'm not going into that.**

**Well, I am pleased to announce that this story was honored by being added to the Mary Sue Alert community! **

**I was very interested as to why this was added, then I re-read my story thus far, and realized... wow...**

**I will offer a defense in which I am pretty sure that the kind person who added me to this community will most likely laugh and say, "wow, what an idiot." But I'm going to say it just because I can and I want to :]**

**So, this story was started... wow about... 2007. Yeah. I was really young at the time. The first version of this is absolutely atrocious. Seriously. It's really really bad. This was the revised edition I put up 2 years later. I have only very recently come back to it. I didn't really feel like re-doing the beginning so I didn't. I know a lot of you are probably thinking because I'm an author, I should take pride in what I write and only write the best I can. Honestly, I can't think of another way to re-write the beginning. I may someday, but for now, it's the best I have. After this chapter, all the next chapters are stuff that I have written recently. Just a note too, I found out today that I was put in this community. The next few chapters that I will be posting were written before I found out about this community. **

**Another thing. I guess I can see how Alisha can be called a Mary Sue now. I should note, however, that everything there is to know about Alisha will not be given to you readers. I'm not big on dramatic irony when it comes to characters. You will learn about my characters as the rest of the people learn about my characters. Alisha seems so great now because, in the story, J.K. Rowling's character's don't know a lot about Alisha except for her powers which seem so great. **

**Lastly, I like to be subtle in describing my characters. If you are foolish enough to not be able to see some things, pros and cons on my characters, I can understand it but I have no sympathy for you. (I feel evil. Muwahahaha). I would give you examples, but I don't really want to, cause it's pretty fun for me to see how some of you to think that I'm dumb. **

**I am not denying that Alisha is a Mary Sue now. At the beginning, yeah, she really is. All I am saying is that her character is not fully developed to the reader. I know how she will turn out to be, but you the reader will find out as the other characters in the story find out.**

**I am also admitting that I was insulted but accept the criticism given by this person. I'm glad that you pointed that out now so that I can adjust a few things to make my story better. Really. I don't like reading stories on which the protagonist is made out to be perfect. It just bugs me because I like characters that I can relate to. I was just a little disappointed that my story got judged so soon. But I had it coming. The beginning could be better, but everything in life can be better. It's our imperfections that make us perfect.**

**Anyhow, I have some more explainations/announcements to do.**

**The titles of the chapters are all songs. Some are pretty random that I tied into the story in a very odd way (I have no idea how I did it, like this one. Pretty cheesy :] ) but some actually have a lot of meaning to them. But it's up to you to decide which ones are important.**

**I am also looking for a beta reader. I had been planning on asking this, but I'm just... slow. Very slow. The Mary Sue Alert alerted me as well and it made me realize that I really really need one. So please, I like you :].**

**I think that's it, on with the story! (sorry this memo was so long!)**

**~epicconfusion**

BOOM!

pitter-patter. pitter-patter.

crack.

BOOM!

Alisha woke to a start. Shivering, she wrapped the blankets around herself tighter. The soft pouring of the rain soothed her from her frightful wake. She glanced about the room, her eyes adjusting to the light. Another crack roared from over head and she looked at the clock.

5:37.

With a sigh, she stood out of bed and quickly made her bed. Looking to her left lied Ginny, breathing lightly with a small grin on her face. Trying not to wake her, she quietly slipped out of the room and down the stairs to the kitchen. A tea keattle sat on the stove, magically being warmed. Utensils were going every which-way, preparing breakfast for the residents of the house. She sat down at one of the benches of the table and rested her head in her palms.

'This is gunna be a looonnggg year,' she thought, 'And this place is so dull in the morning.' She took another glance at the keattle. Pointing her finger, she let a small stream of fire out to the fire of the stove, causing it burn hotter. Glancing out side, the sky was still a dark blue. The rain fell quickly as it flooded the streets. The drains were beginning to over flow as the rain continued to pour down. Slowly, the keattle began to whistle then shriek. Alisha walked over to the stove and poured herself a glass of tea. Gently, she blew on the keattle and it resumed its' previous temperature. She set it back down on the stove and sat back down on the bench. Sipping her tea, she let her mind wander. She examined her life, thinking about her new friends, her old friends, her duties, her desires, her school, all the changes taking place. She sighed and set the glass down on the table. Things were coming too fast, life was happening too soon. It seemed as if the world outside, the rain, was beginning to flood her. Drown her. Swallowing her beneath her feet.

Reality was taking hold. She was starting to loose the tight control she had on her life.

'What happened to mom? What about Rachael, Luci, Ming, Ben-' she thought, 'Were they okay? Were they even alive? Are they gunna live? Did I put them in too much danger? Are they in hiding somewhere? Did they escape in time?' Question plagued her mind as her eyes started to water. "No," she whispered, "I will not cry."

"It's okay to cry every once and a while," a voice said. Alisha looked up to see Ron at the bottom of the stair case. "Sadly, we get this-"

"A lot. I know. That's what Ginny told me the night we first talked," she said looking back down. Ron sat down on the bench opposite of Alisha. Her head drooped with her long, brown curls surrounding her face. She looked refreshed and alert as she always did but her eyes said something else. He stared deeper into them only to see sadness and concern.

"Alisha. What's wrong?" he asked.

"Noth-"

"Tell me the truth," he interrupted. She sighed looked up at him. Her gaze wasn't full of worry and sadness anymore but more blank and empty.

"What happend to them?" she asked with no emotion. He grabbed her hand and she blinked. Silence fell as they stared at eachother. Ron took a deep breath in.

"I don't know," he replied flatly. He was startled when Alisha suddenly brought her fist down on the table. His confidence seemed to drop as fear bubbled within him. Wind whipped around Alisha at increasing speeds. Her body seemed to be getting warmer and warmer. Ron gave a small yelp when the temperature on her hand became dangerously hot in an instant. His heart beated faster and faster. Suddenly, a hand behind Ron grabbed Alisha's hand. The expression on her face seemed to soften. He looked back to see Ginny with a concerend look on her face. She then looked down and glared at Ron angrily.

"What did you do you bloody idiot!" she screamed at him. His face instantaneously went from pink, to red, to crimson. He garbled mindlessly trying to think of a defence, but no coherent words came out. Ginny raised her hand high above her hand.

"STOP!" cried Alisha, "Just- chill!" With a sigh, she plopped down on the bench. "I just need a moment of silence," she said as Ginny poked Ron several times, "PLEASE!" Ginny and Ron stopped and looked at Alisha. Her hair was disheveled and she was sweating profusely. Ginny walked around the table and sat beside her. She was breathing heavily. Ginny rested her hand on Alisha's as she stared into her eyes. "I'm just- worried," Alisha said breaking her gaze, "That's the only thing I can do- will do until I know for sure."

"But you shouldn't let it control you, Ali," said Ron.

"He's right," Ginny added.

She sighed. "I know," she said as she stood, "The one thing Ming always said was my weakness was my temper and my anxiety."

"Ming was your, uh- teacher. Right?" Ron implored.

"Yeah," she laughed slightly, "He was a great man. Gosh, if only I could see him again-"

"You can, and you will soon enough," came a airy voice. A tall, elderly man entered the room. He had a long, white beard that went past his waist and half-moon spectacles covering twinkling eyes. One hand was severly burned and seemed to wither as she observed the man.

"Pardon mi frances, but who the hell are you?" Alisha asked agrily. Who was this man to be thinking such rediculous ideas and trying to plant them in her head when she was most vulnerable.

"Professor Dumbledore? What brings you-"

"Order business, my boy," the man replied. Alisha didn't let her eyes off the stranger for a second as he poured himself a cup of tea. "Mmmm- with a touch of-"

"Honey," she finished for him, "and you are?"

"Albus, young lady, Professor Albus Dumbledore," he answered. "Any more questions?"

"Yes," she said and paused, "Who are you?"

He chuckled. "Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwart School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," he said, "And you are Alisha Hinston if I am correct?"

"Yes," she said, eyeing him suspiciously, "How do you know?"

"You are to be a pupil of mine come this fall, correct?" he asked. Alisha said nothing and he continued, "I've got to know my students so I know what to expect. I know much of you Miss Hinston and I look forward to your attending of my school."

"Ye-Yeah-" she said, "You're the one who set me up to protect-"

"-Harry? Why, yes, I was. With the help of the Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour of course," he said with a smile.

"Yeah..." she said as he continued to drink his cup of tea. Alisha looked at Ron and Ginny and shruged her shoulders. He seemed like a gentle, odd man. He set the empty cup down on the table and waved his hand. The cup instantly flew into the sink.

"I best be off. It was a pleasure to make your aquaintance Miss Hinston. Happy to see you Mr. and Miss Weasley. Hope your summer breaks were enjoyable," he said. He turned around and walked down stairs. The door to the basement shut quickly after him. Alisha, curious, went to the door to try and open it, but with no avail.

"Give up, Ali. You won't get in," said Ron. With a sigh, she sat back down at the table. No one spoke for what seemed like an eternity. The house creaked and shook in the violent wind from the storm. Ginny gave a slight "hmpf" and went to make herself some tea. Ron buried his head in his arms on the table and Alisha stared off into space.

'You can, you can see him again' replayed over and over again in her mind. She could see Ming again! But when, where, how, how could this man make it happen.

"He's Albus Dumbledore, Alisha. He'll find a way," Ginny said, stirring her tea.

"How did you-?"

"I can read you like a book, Alisha," she said, "And stop thinking so hard. I don't believe anyone could think under these conditions. Don't worry too much." She began to drink her tea as Alisha shruged her shoulders. Soft foot steps descended from the stairs. It was Hermione. Her hair looked more frazzled than the night before. She yawned loudly before sitting at the table, tea in hand. She sipped it down quietly as Alisha looked worriedly at Ginny. Ginny was trying to encourage her to introduce herself to Hermione a little more formally seeing as the night before was rather- unpleasent. Alisha sighed and gazed at the curly brunette.

"Morning. I'm sorry about last night. Kinda rough. I don't want you to get a bad impression of me. So if I may, I'm Alisha Hinston" she said extending an arm. When she said her name, Hermione spat out her tea. It sprayed all over Ron. Ginny started to laugh where as Hermione and Alisha stared at eachother.

"I'm sorry. Just, I know all about Jeannine Hinston. She was a great witch and mage. What was her element?" Hermione said. Alisha smiled. She liked hearing praise about her mother.

"She was an Earth Mage," she answered. Hermione smiled.

"Yes! She was the one who rose the-"

"Tower of Time," they finished together. 'Okay, I know I'm gunna love this girl,' thought Alisha.

"Yes. She was said to have rebuilt most of Diagon Alley after the first attack," she said, "Wait, you couldn't possibly be-"

"Yeah, I am," she said.

"Can I see your wrist?" Hermione asked boldly. Alisha nodded and rolled up her right sleave. Hermione took hold of her wrist and trned it over. She gasped when she saw a black mark rather than a colored one. "How- what does this-?"

"I'm the Elemental. I can control all the elements," she said, "That's why the marks black. I'm the first mage with this mark that can control all elements."

"I heard of this, but I didn't know if it was true. No wonder they chose you to protect Harry! Ron, does Harry know that she's-"

"Know what?" another voice rang. There stood Harry on the bottom of the stairs, hair slightly frazzled and his glasses lop-sided. His head cocked to the right side as he stared confused at the group before him. Ginny and Ron looked at eachother worriedly as Hermione drummed her fingers on the table anxiously. Alisha on the other hand smiled.

"Know the reason why I specifically was sent to protect you," she said. Harry narrowed his eyes at the girl. She returned the gaze, her eyes full of mischief. He took a seat between Hermione and Ron (much to Ron's displeasure) and stared at her more intently.

"What do you mean 'the reason that you specifically were chosen to protect me'?" he asked. She laughed a little.

"Umm... maybe just that. I hardly told you much about me last night. One of them is something big," she answered. She began to check her nails in an attempt to show him that she wasn't interested in their conversation. He let out an angry 'Hmph' and stared her down even more (if that were at all possible).

"Then why don't you just tell me?" he asked. She looked up at him and sighed.

"It would be easier just to show you," she said. She lifted the hand that she was previously inspecting, plam facing herself. Suddenly, a rock flew in from the- open window? It was odd seeing as it was raining outside and it wasn't- wait. Did it just close? Harry was terribly confused at the sight before him. The rock hovered slightly above her index finger. Then, he heard what sounded like water from the sink. A slim stream of water flowed out and rested in a small ball above her middle finger. Suddenly, a light flickered from her ring finger. It had caught fire! He was ready to panic when he realized that she wasn't burnt at all. In fact, it hovered like the others above her ring finger. Slowly, his brain began to process what was happening. A ball of wind rested just above her pinky finger. Harry looked at the girl, utterly bewildered and astounded. Who- what was she?

"How-" he managed to spit out, "How can you-?"

"I'm a mage," she answered simply, "I'm not like others though. I, through some act of God, can control all elements. I don't know why, I just can."

"C-can I see- your wrist?" he mumbled. She nodded and smiled. He gazed upon the black mark. Sure, he had been taught in school about mages, but it was said that-

"Wait," he said, "I'm sorry Alisha, but didn't the last mage die? I thought that in order for there to be another mage, that mage would have to-"

"Reproduce? Well, as you can see, she must have because I'm here. And she raised me, but I wouldn't expect you to know that. All I know is that she fled to the States to try to protect me. I don't know who my father is though so no need to ask," replied Alisha.

"How-"

"I don't know."

A long silence fell between the five at the table. Ginny and Hermione eventually went upstairs to clean and Ron said something about a book. This left Alisha and Harry sitting at the table. At 6:14 A.M.. Both were tired, so they ended up going into the living room near the kitchen. Harry spraled himself out on the couch whereas Alisha made herself comfortable in a near by chair. Not a word was spoken. The rain continued to pour down. Thunder cracked in the skies. Harry sighed deeply staring up at the celing.

'I guess that there is a good reason why they sent her'

'Well no duh, you bloody idiot!' the other side of his head argued.

'Shut up! She is right though. I don't really know much about her still from last night'

'Maybe there was a reason?'

'Well I basically told her about the past 2 years'

'Who said she wanted to hear that?'

"Hey, nobody asked you!" he said aloud. He blushed deeply as Alisha sat up.

"You're absolutely right, Harry!" she said in a terrible British accent. He stared at her as she giggled. He smiled a bright smile and actually laughed at his own foolishness for a while. "Any reason for the sudden outburst?" she asked. Harry turned his body to face her. His hand automatically flew behind his head. He nervously brought it back down to his lap while finding great interest in the floor.

"Well, I was thinking about what you just said. In the dining room- and- you were right. I guess- I guess I really don't know much about you," he said. He began twittling his thumbs, anxiously waiting for some sort of response from her. He heard her get up and move over to him. He was still lying on the couch but that certainly didn't stop her. She just went and sat on his knees. It shocked him a little at first. Sure, Fred and George had sat on him loads of times, but there was a difference between them and Alisha. He had known the twins for years where as he had just met Alisha the night before. Another thing, she's a girl.

"Well, what do you want to know? I told you most of the pointless stuff last night," she said. She rested back against the couch still sitting on Harry's legs. She drummed her fingers against her legs absentmindedly as Harry pondered.

"Uh- What exactly can you do?" he asked finally. She rose and inquistive eyebrow at him.

"Um- I can breath, eat, talk, sleep-"

"You know what I mean," he interrupted.

"Well, I can spurt fire from anywhere. I can move, condense, materialize, and shape any of the elements like earth, water, and air. With fire, I can use lightning and mixtures of water and air that can ultimately help me to 'redirect' weather. Some say it's controlling, but it really isn't that. The use of fire also lets me to emit gases that start fires from my fingers and breath and therefore, I can set things on fire from a distance and control the flames easier. I can freeze water into ice. I'm starting learn- or well I was, learning how to use the earth side to control metals which is extremely useful but it's very difficult to master. Many Earth Mages haven't gotten the hang of it. I can use wind to aide me in many attacks and I'm learning how to use it for flying. I can only really use my full powers when I activate my Oculus Preateritus. And I really can't do that unless I am emotionally driven," she said. She took a deep breath. Harry's eyes buldged. She could do all of this? But-

"I'm sorry, but what's the use of these kind of abilities when we already have spells that can do that sort of stuff?" he asked.

"That's just it," she said. 'Okay,' he thought, 'this is- odd.' She yawned deeply before continuing. "It's basically just wandless magic. It's a blood trait that is far more powerful than any spell. Mages basically take the spell and bring it to a whole new level. And when Oculus Preateritus is activated- well, just run away. It brings those spells to an entirely new and far more dangerous level," she said. Beneath her, Harry shifted akwardly. This caused her to loose her balance for a moment and her right hand landed on his hip. They both looked at eachother for a moment before she quickly stood up. Both were blushing profusely as she lifted his legs and sat down on the couch. She placed his legs on her lap and rested her arms on them. Harry was still blushing from the incident before. A strange excitement coursed through every inch of his being. He had experienced similar feelings before, but never when he was awake. She was just so close and-

Thoughts whirled in his head. He couldn't let her notice the bump. He quickly did a streach as he leaned over and pushed down roughly with his hands. As he lied back down, he could still feel the heat but it at least was hidden now. She sighed happily, causing him to smile. He let his thoughts get the best of him.

"You're like, a breath of fresh air," he said dreamily. Her head snapped in his direction. At first, he thought she was angry with him. It wasn't until she smiled that he realized he was wrong. Several thin strands of fast-moving air spun around her finger. She brought the finger up to her mouth and inhaled one of the strands. She exhaled and the air in the room instantly became cleaner. She coughed violently and Harry shot up. He grabbed hold of her right arm and patted her back. When her coughing subsided, he began to rub her back gently.

"Thank you," she said in a raspy voice. He nodded and she closed her eyes. He watched her sit there, observing her steady breathing. In and out, in and out. It was calming. Her cheeks grew red as time went on. He let go of her and sat up. The silence lasted for a while longer. "Anything else?" she asked him.

"Can you do ordinary magic?" he asked.

"Not when I'm using my mage powers. I can do things like combo attacks but it doesn't do much good. One of the two over powers the other and the attack has lost its' potential strength," she said, "It kinda stinks too when you're trying to multi-task between mage powers and regular magic."

"Alright," he said. He stared into the empty fireplace, the one Sirius had used to communicate with Harry while he was at school. Alisha saw what Harry was staring at and she snapped her fingers. The wood was set ablaze and they both watched the fire grow and fade. Alisha turned to Harry and flashed him a bright smile. She wanted to just reach out and hold him, give him the comfort and reasurrance he needed. 'Slow down,' she told herself, 'They told me to take it easy and not come off too strong. No need to rush. This beginning is the perfect shade of Dark Blue.'


	6. In Pursuing Design

**So... how's it going?**

**DON'T SHOOT ME! Sorry it's taken me SO long to update... months... but please! I bring an offering of an update!**

**I've actually had this on my computer for a long time... sadly... I just misplaced it. Bad person. I know.**

**But to defend myself! School's been hectic, preparing for auditions, new boyfriend, pictures, other obligations... so sadly, I haven't been on FF for a while. But I will commit myself to you :]**

**I know, this one's short, but I'm uploading another one with this so Happy Day.**

**But the song is In Pursuing Design by VersaEmerge. Enjoy! Rate and comment- PLEASE!**

**Yours humbly,**

**~epicconfusion**

As soon as it seemed like they had arrived at Grimauld Place, it was time to leave. Alisha had spent most of her time talking to Harry seeing as he was her mission. It was easy for them. Their friendship seemed so natural but it was still very young. There were still things to discover. Alisha hadn't told Harry much about herself. He hadn't asked yet and she hadn't felt the need to bring it up. Hermione and Alisha were getting to know each other and spent their time together discussing books even though Alisha hadn't read half the books Hermione had. She was finally settling into her new surroundings only to be uprooted for the third time and attend school.

Oh blast. School.

Alisha had attended a wizardry school back in America, but had also done the same studies that muggles did. It was enforced by the Ministry to promote assimilation with the muggles. She was elated to hear that Hogwarts focus primarily on magic. She found that the school work muggles did was absurdly difficult in math, but humorous with the explainations of mysterious events with science (they ignored the fact that it was simply magic). Muggles thought they knew everything which was funny in Alisha's eyes.

They had already gone to Diagon Alley previously in the week to pick up books, robes, and other supplies. Ginny had tried to convince her to buy an owl or some sort of pet, but Alisha decided to go to Hogwarts without. It would be too much stress at a new school having to worry about studies, boys, protecting a certain boy, and let alone an animal. Alisha had her luggage loaded up and carried it downstairs to the living room. She was surprised to see Bill, Fred, and George there waiting for them. She greeted them warmly, forgetting to ask why they were even there. The rest gathered into the small space as time when on.

"Alright time for apparation!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley, "No groaning from you, Alisha."

Despite what Mrs. Weasley told her, she groaned. Bill quickly took her arm before she was able to protest. Suddenly, she was being squeezed through that tube again. That dreadful tube. It was too small and she was too big. Then it was gone. She still hated it.

"You suck, Bill," she said as soon as their feet had touched the ground. He gave a small chuckle. They had apparated into a dark alley way. In past years, they had always used more muggle ways to get to King's Cross according to Hermione. But this year, due to Volde-freak, they had to used side-along apparation for further protection. Alisha had vehemently objected but was brutally over ruled. Unjustly so in her eyes.

"Come on, the rest should be at the platform right now," Bill said as he tugged at her arm. She wheeled her trolley around and followed Bill. They weaved in and out of people, making Alisha feel uncomfortable. European people were so vastly different from American. They continued to walk until Bill stopped in front of a large, brick pillar. Glancing to her left, and glancing to her right, she saw no one she knew in sight. She looked back up at the pillar. A sign to the right read 10 and to the left 9. She looked around again before reaching into her pocket. 9 and 3/4. What an odd place.

"Hiya Alisha!" a voice boomed beside her. Alisha yelped in surprise. The voice began to laugh hysterically as Alisha gained her composure. Just Ron.

"You have no idea how much I wanna push you over into those train tracks right now, Ron," Alisha said with an intense stare. This caused Ron to laugh even harder. As the situation continued, more and more of their company arrived. Soon, everyone had gathered before the great pillar. Everyone stood there, rather awkwardly, waiting for someone to do something. Alisha was still confused as to where platform 9 3/4 was.

"Alright, dearies. Now that everyone's here, why don't you go first, Ronald?" Molly said. Ron shrugged and turned towards the pillar. With a deep breath, he broke out into a sprint directly at the wall. Alisha watched, eyes wide, waiting to see the head on collision. To her dismay, he vanished, instead of recieving the retribution she felt that he deserved. Alisha looked back up at Mrs. Weasley only to meet the stare of everyone else in the group.

"Should I go next?" Alisha asked. Without waiting for an answer, she turned her trolley around and stopped in front of the pillar. With a great heave, she pushed the trolley forward and ran at the pillar. The run, however, seemed to move at slow motion. She turned her head to her right and saw a cloaked man. He was in black robes, hiding his face as it looked toward the ground. She could see his pale, skeletal fingers as the clutched to a small piece of wood. Then, the man looked up. A pair of big, red eyes bore into her own. A voice echoed in her head.

"_I want you,"_ it whispered. As soon as the man had appeared, he was gone. All she could see was a wall of brick. She had walked through the pillar and was now on the odd platform of 9 3/4.

They had boarded the train, said their (rather long) good-byes, and had settled into their own compartment. Ginny had gone to sit with some of her own friends, leaving Alisha, Ron, Hermione, and Harry alone. It was a nice day on the train. The temperature was simply perfect. The sun glimmered through the window giving the compartment a nice glow. The scenary flew past them as the train wizzed through the countryside. Alisha looked back from staring at the window. Hermione was engaged in a book, Ron was nearly falling asleep, and Harry- well, Harry wasn't doing anything. His eyes looked glossy but fixed on something. Alisha looked back at Ron, deciding that he had the right idea in mind. With a small yawn, she moved her feet up onto the seat and turned so that she was facing the window. She closed her eyes and let sleep claim her. It was nice, peaceful, bliss-

"Guys, I have to talk to you about something," Harry said, "Now that she's asleep at least. I don't really want to say it while she's consious." Alisha was about to sit up but then she realized that they were talking about her. She stayed put, knowing that she would ruin it if she moved.

"What is it Harry?" asked Hermione.

"Well, before we boarded the train, before we got onto the platform, I-," he paused, "I- thought I saw someone. Someone who shouldn't have been there."

"Like who?" said Ron groggily. She could hear a yawn escape from presummably Ron.

"Like Voldemort," Harry said lowly. Hermione's book slammed shut and she could hear the two scooting closer to Harry.

"What could he have been doing there?" Hermione pondered aloud.

"I don't know," Harry said, "But it can't be anything good. I also heard this voice. You saw me, when my scar started to hurt."

"What did he say?" Hermione persisted.

"He said- 'I want you'. What could that mean?" He answered.

"Was he talking about you?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know. Well, he could have been talking about any of us," replied Harry. Alisha decided that it was time to intervene.

"I heard the voice too, Harry," she said, eyes open wide now, "Right as I was passing through the barrier. I saw him a little way's away from us and heard the exact same thing." Everyone seemed to jump with her sudden outburst. They weren't expecting anything, let alone an actual responce out of her.

"Alisha, did you-?"

"Yeah, I did Hermione. Now as much as I would like to know why Harry didn't want me to know about this since it is my job here to protect him from Voldemort, you don't need to worry about it. What you should worry about though is making sure that if you don't want someone to eavesdrop on your conversations, make sure they can't," she said.

"Alisha, he wasn't trying to keep-"

"-Hermione, it's okay. I don't need an explaination. I'm going to go change into my robes. You guys have a prefects meeting now too, don't you?" she interrupted looking at Ron and Hermione. They looked at eachother and got up. As they walked out, Alisha followed them with her eyes and then stood up herself. She reached up above for her trunk and grabbed out a set of robes. She closed her trunk and put her hand on the compartment door when a hand stopped her from opening it.

"I wasn't trying to be secretive, Alisha," a stiff voice said from behind her.

"Save it," she replied. The hand loosened its' hold and she swiftly opened the door. She walked out, not even bothering to close it as she made her way to the back of the train.

When Alisha returned to the compartment, she was not shocked to find it empty. She figured that Harry was either changing into his robes or catching up with some friends. She went ahead and reached back up to her trunk. She put her clothes away and grabbed her iPod. The sun was setting and there was little commotion outside of her compartment. She sat down, placed her legs up on the seat, and leaned back. She placed both earbuds in her ears and switched it off of hold. It didn't turn on. She turned it over a few times, confused as to why it wasn't working. She had charged it a while ago and hadn't listened to it since she entered Europe. She shook it furiously, getting angrier by the second. Just then, the compartment door flew open. Alisha looked up to see Harry there, a fixed look on his face, one hand on the door and the other holding onto his clothes.

"What are you doing?" he asked incredulously.

"Trying to get this stupid contraption to do its job," she answered.

"What is it?" he asked.

"What do you think it is? It's an iPod, stupid," she answered looking at him as if he were an alien.

"A what?" he replied. Alisha sighed. This was Europe. Not only Europe, but European wizards. How would he know of an iPod?

"An iPod. It's a music player, a muggle device," she said.

"No wonder it isn't working," he said, "It's muggle. Muggle things don't work at Hogwarts."

Hmph. "That woulda been nice to know. But wait, we're not at Hogwarts yet," she said.

"I guess it doesn't work if it has anything to do with Hogwarts," he said thoughtfully. Alisha sighed, disappointed that she couldn't escape into her music. She made a mental note to see Dumbledore first thing to get that fixed...

"Do you think that Ron and Hermione will be coming back soon?" she asked out of the blue. Harry had sat down across from her.

"Oh, well, I dunno. They might, but probably not," he replied. Alisha made an "o" with her mouth, then stood up to place her iPod back into her trunk. She stood up on her tip-toes to try and reach it properly. When it was safe and secure, she was about to place her heals on the ground when suddenly, the train stopped. She screamed as she flew forward. She stopped herself by placing her hands on the wall. Then, the lights went out. She could only see one thing that was in between her hands. In between her hands was Harry's head. Her right knee was on the seat, supporting the majority of her weight, right by Harry's leg. She could feel his hands on her hips, preventing her from colliding into him. Her hair made a neat curtain around their faces protecting them from onlooker's eyes. She panted lightly from the scream and the surprise.

"Thanks," she breathed.

"Um- yeah. You- you're welcome," he whispered. With her left hand, she tucked her hair behind her ear and tried to back away from Harry. She couldn't, however, for his hands held firmly at her hips.

"Harry," she said, "You can let go now."

"Just- hold on. Something's up and I don't like it," he whispered again. He guided her with his hands to the seat away from the compartment door. She could hear him reach into his jacket and pull out something, presumably his wand. He whispered "Lumos" to his wand and stood up. He slid open the compartment door. Alisha went up right behind him, reaching for her wand as well, as she grabbed the back of his jacket. His hand quickly grasped her hand that was gripping onto his back. He stuck his head out and his wand. Apparently, the whole train had lost power and many other students had stuck their heads out in curiousity. Just then, the temperature seemed to drop exponentially. Harry became alarmed and pushed Alisha back into the compartment. Alisha grabbed onto his arm to prevent him from leaving her. What on earth was he doing trying to go off into danger?

"_Expecto Patronum,_" he bellowed. A stag erupted from the tip of his wand and instantly sprinted to the left towards the front of the train. The front. That was where Ron and Hermione were.

"_Expecto Patronum,_" she said following Harry's lead. A shaggy-looking dog burst from her wand and sprinted in the opposite direction. Dementors had boarded the Hogwarts Express.


	7. All At Once

**As promised, here is the next update :]**

**This one is All At Once by The Fray.**

**Enjoy!**

**~epicconfusion**

"_Expecto Patronum,_" she said following Harry's lead. A shaggy-looking dog burst from her wand and sprinted in the opposite direction. Dementors had boarded the Hogwarts Express.

"We should be okay. So should everyone else if we have two patronuses patroling the trains. As soon as everyone else sees them too, they'll be casting theirs," Harry said in a low voice. Alisha pulled him in and slid the door shut. They scooted back to the wall where the window was on the floor. They sat there, Alisha gripping his arm, Harry shivering. Alisha raised her body temperature and scooted closer to him to try and keep him warm.

"Alisha?" Harry asked for her attention.

"Yes," she whispered.

"How can you not be cold when there are dementors everywhere? In fact, you're getting warmer," he questioned.

"I'm the Elemental. Extreme temperatures don't bother me. When I'm hot, I mix water and cool air and can lower my body temperature. I can heat myself when it's cold," she replied. Harry nodded and wrapped an arm around her. Dispite what she just said, shivers ran down her spine and her body broke out in goosebumps. An anxiety began to overwhelm her as it bubbled up in her throat. She couldn't tell if it was because of Harry's touch or if the patronuses weren't doing their job. Just then, the wall that they leaned on began to grow cold. Alisha looked up at Harry questioningly as it grew colder. She pulled out her wand and muttered the same incantation she had said before. Another dog burst through and instantly turned towards the window. Alisha's eyes grew wide and she pulled Harry down as she used the air to pull the window down. Instantly, the temperature dropped to freezing temperatures. Alisha increased her bodily temperature before she sent the dog out the window to the dementor.

"Go get 'em, boy!" she shouted. Once again, she used her wind power to roll the window back up. She panted for a few seconds. That was a lot of excitement for a few moments. She then began to calm down and realize her position. Much more awkward than before. She was on top of Harry. His arm was still wrapped around her shoulders with a tighter grip than before. Her head rested neatly inbetween the crook in his shoulder and chest. Their legs were jumbled together in a creative mess. She blushed lightly and pulled herself up to sit in her previous position. Harry followed suit, his arm releasing the grip on her shoulders.

"Thanks," he said. The temperature was now rising which was comforting. The lights were still out and the train hadn't moved an inch. They sat there for a few minutes, waiting for someone or something. The lights were starting to come back on, starting at the front of the train. They could see them spreading down the line. The lights then came on in their compartment. Alisha rubbed her eyes, attempting to adjust to her new surroundings. Voices could be heard through the halls of the train. They were opening up compartment doors, checking to see if everything was alright, then moving on to the next. Their compartment door flew open and in walked a rather annoyed-looking blonde haired boy. His eyes were sharp and crystal clear blue. He had very defined features. His eyes locked on Harry's and a smirk graced his face.

"Didn't faint this time, Potter, eh?" he taunted. His arms moved to cross over his chest.

"No, thanks. Everythings fine, Malfoy. You can leave us now," Harry replied curtly. A bigger smirk came across the blonde boy's face.

"Oh, and who's this? Got yourself a little girlfriend now, have you?" he said.

"So what, he told you to leave. You're annoying me and that's not a good thing. Get out," Alisha interjected. The blonde boy then stepped closer to Alisha. He bent down and gazed straight into her eyes. Blue met blue and she could feel herself getting more agitated by the second. He stood up and turned his back on the two.

"What ever you say, Hinston," the blonde boy said cooly. Alisha's eyes widened. How did he know her name? He left and slid the compartment door with a loud slam. She could feel Harry's shock radiating off of him as well as his deep stare.

"How does he know yo-?"

"-Your guess is as good as mine," she said. The two sat there on the floor in silence for several moments. The train had picked up movement again. The sky was dark and not a single star could be found. It was getting late. She was hungry, tired, and still shocked from the recent events. She looked up at Harry only to meet his gaze.

"Does this kind of stuff happen to you a lot?" she questioned. Neither of them blinked. He sighed before replying.

"Yeah, it does," he said heavily. They kept their eyes locked until the compartment door flew open again.

"Oh, thank goodness you're alright!" Hermione exclaimed as she walked in, "We were so worried about you two!"

"You were?" Alisha asked, slightly surprised.

"Why yes, of course! Why wouldn't we be? I mean, you do know why they were on the train, don't you?" Hermione replied. Harry and Alisha looked at eachother. Both seemed lost for an answer.

"Would you mind telling us why they were on the train?" Harry asked.

"Think Harry! There's only been the biggest breakout in Azkaban history just over a month ago! I told you that, remember?" Ron said taking a seat to their right. Hermione sat across from him.

"Oh, right. I forgot," Harry said absentmindedly, "But why would they be looking on the train for prisoners?"

"Harry, I don't think they were looking for prisoners. It's beginning. Voldemort is starting now that his big secret is out. He's building an army," Hermione said. Alisha furrowed her brows. What was she getting into?

"Back up," she said, "You mean, there's gunna be a war. A legit war."

"Yes, Alisha. No offense, but why else would you be here?" Ron said. Alisha looked down. Sure, she had been told numerous times of what she was to do in Europe, but it never really dawned on her that this was war. The other side isn't going to just give in and back down when they get tired and worn. It was a battle. She had been so focused on school and her budding social life that she had forgotten her true purpose for being in England. She wasn't there for school, love, friends, life. She was there as a weapon. She was a machine. She drew her legs into her stomach and rested her head on her knees. Never before in her life had she felt so stupid and used. It was for the greater good that she was here. But shouldn't she have a choice?

"Alisha, are you- are you alright?" Hermione asked. Alisha jerked her head up quickly and inhaled sharply.

"Yeah- yeah, I'm- I'm fine," she said. Her heart sank. She was feeling very anxious to get to Hogwarts just so that she could get away for a while.

"Could you guys give us a minute?" Harry asked suddenly. Hermione shifted.

"Yeah, sure. We have to finish our rounds anyway. We just wanted to check up on you guys," Hermione said. With that, the two left the compartment. Alisha put her head back down on her knees. She didn't want to look up. The moment she did, she knew she would break down and that couldn't happen. She couldn't let Harry see her weak. She was supposed to be his body guard, his protector. So far, he had done most of the work.

"I'd probably die without you, you know," he said suddenly. Alisha looked up, confusion etched upon her face. Her eyes searched for his, but he never looked her way. His eyes were glossy as they stared right out in front of him. "I mean, you just saved me from that dementor and now, who knows what's going to happen," he continued. He turned his head towards hers and they drank in each other for some time. Her blue orbs filled his emerald and they examined each feature on each other's faces. She turned away, slightly embarrassed.

"I wouldn't have known that there were dementors if you hadn't cast your patronus," she said meekly.

"Well, they're popular around here," he said. Alisha smiled. The more she talked with Harry, the more she enjoyed his company. She gave a small grin and exhaled deeply through her nose.

"I just never- It never really occurred to me that this was... reality," she said, "How could you have put up with this for so many years?"

"It's all I've ever known. Voldemort has been a part of me and will be until..." he said.

"Until what?" she inquired. There was a moment of silence before the light bulb in her head switched on. "The prophecy," she finished.

"Yeah," he replied. Silence fell between the two as the train began to slow down. They were finally getting closer to Hogwarts. Excited voices carried through the hallway. Alisha sighed. Maybe she wasn't fit for this job. Either that, or she knew that her life was going to be the job. She would loose any sort of social interaction. She didn't know if she was going to be taking the same classes as the students. She didn't know if she was going to be with Harry, Ron, Ginny, or Hermione at all. Disappointment and doubt flooded her mind. She wasn't prepared to loose her life, socially or physically. She was only sixteen-

The train jolted to a stop. Harry stood immediately and made his way to the compartment door. Alisha stood to follow him. He slid the door open and they mixed into the crowd. They took the nearest exit and Harry stopped. He looked around until a great, booming voice could be heard throughout the entire platform.

"Firs' years!" it rang, "All firs' years gather 'round now!" Harry grinned while Alisha cocked her head to the side. He immediately took off in the direction of the voice. Alisha jumped to follow him. She kept in close pace with him, not wanting to loose him in the crowd. They waded through people until they stopped before a man who was much larger than anyone she had ever seen. He continued to yell until he noticed Harry standing beside him. He held up a rather large lantern and was bundled up in many layers of clothing. He had long, grizzly hair that rested on his shoulders alongside a tough beard. He smiled upon recognizing them.

"'Arry! It's so good ter see yea!" he exclaimed. Harry broke out, smiling madly. This was the first time he had really smiled since she met him.

"You too, Hagrid!" he replied.

"Hey, er, who's this behin' yea?" he asked, peering behind Harry with the lantern. Harry turned around and grabbed hold of Alisha's arm to pull her forward.

"This is Alisha. She's a new student. Alisha, this is Hagrid, the grounds keeper," said Harry. Alisha smiled and extended a hand.

"It's nice to meet you Hagrid!" she said. Hagrid took her hand into his large one and shook it gently.

"It be my pleasure, Alisha," he said, "Now, I think Professor Dumbledore tol' me to send yea on th' boats wit' me, but I think yea can get away wit' sneakin' on the carriages with 'Arry here." Alisha smiled broadly. She wouldn't want to travel with a bunch of strangers, let alone a bunch of young strangers.

"Think I could?" she asked. Hagrid winked at her and she laughed. She looked over at Harry who was smiling brightly at her. He looked so much happier than she had seen him and it made her much happier. The two bid their good-byes to Hagrid and Harry led them towards a woodsy area where the carriages were to be. There were a few people still waiting for a carriage and only a few more carriages left. Alisha and Harry hopped on to a carriage with a few others. Some had robes with a yellow patch, the others with a blue patch. They seemed to be around their age, and they instantly struck up conversation.

"Bilmey, Harry! It's gunna be a tough quittich season this year, wouldn't you say?" said one boy with a blue patch on. He had sandy blonde hair with very defined features. Definately easy on the eyes.

"Yeah, I'll say. I hear Cho's the Ravenclaw captain this year," said another with dark brown hair. Harry only nodded. Alisha scooted closer to Harry and leaned over to whisper something to him when another interrupted them.

"Oye! Who's this girl here?" another boy said, "Got yourself a girl, Potter?" Harry ignored them and leaned in closer to try and hear what Alisha was about to say.

"Harry, who are these people?" she whispered. Harry turned to reply.

"Just some 7th years. Some from Ravenclaw, some from Hufflepuff," he said. Alisha nodded and faced the group.

"Hi! My names Alisha Hinston!" she said energeticly. All of them introduced themselves in return. There were 6 of them, so she couldn't quite remember all of their names. 4 of them were 7th years, 2 were 6th years.

"What year are you, Alisha?" a 7th year Ravenclaw, Veronica, asked.

"Well, that's an awfully good question. I'm sixteen, so whatever that means," Alisha responded.

"You're a 6th year then," the boy with brown hair, Eric, said. After formalities were exchanged, the group was mostly silent for the ride. Alisha wanted to ask them about this Ravenclaw and Huffle-what stuff was about, but she didn't want to be made a fool. She sat there calmly, her hands folded neatly on her lap as the carriage bounced through the road. Many night critters scurried through the trees. The sky was still dark. The stars were being protected by the veil of clouds that coated the atmosphere. The trees soon began to thin out. The road was smoothing out and they reached a large clearing. Out of the darkness rose a great castle illuminated with bright lights. Alisha's jaw dropped. This was a monstrosity!

"What do you think, Alisha?" Harry asked in a low voice.

"I'm so gonna get lost here," she replied. Harry laughed and leaned back into his seat. The path began to wind up to the castle. Alisha's eyes never departed from the sight. It was so beautiful, and it was now her home.


	8. Missing

Lalala I'm lame.

Yes, indeed. I have admitted that I'm lame.

I'm so lame because I haven't put out a new chapter in weeks. But here it is! I've been so busy with School of Music auditions... so annoying. But they're done now! And it's lent, and I gave up Facebook. You know what that means? More time to devote to this story. My goal is to have at least a chapter a week. It's spring break for me now as well, so I should get a few out this week at least.

I'd also like to devote this chapter to two lovely people: Pulsebeat and Seasoned for the amazing reviews! :] My heart was glowing when I read those and so I hope you enjoy this chapter :]

This chapter is full of little snippits of stuffs. Small warning? :]

The song is Missing by Flyleaf.

~epicconfusion

"All students report to the Great Hall!" a woman's voice cried above the others. The carriage had stopped and everyone began to walk into the castle. Alisha stood, Harry behind her, and followed the rest of the crowd. Suddenly, an arm pulled her out from the sea of people. She looked to see a very stern, older looking woman grasping her arm. She heard someone shouting her name, but her focus was on the woman.

"I'm sorry if I startled you, Miss Hinston, but I was under the impression that you would be arriving by boat, not with the other students," the woman said. Alisha kept her mouth shut and looked at her with wide eyes. How was it that everyone in England knew her name?

"Professor McGonagall, is something wrong?" Harry said out of no where. Alisha jumped. He was not there just a second ago.

"Potter, if you would please. Miss Hinston and I will be joining the first years to be sorted. You on the other hand, to the Great Hall," the woman said. The woman released her arm and began to walk up to the castle. Alisha followed quickly, not wanting to loose sight of her. They stopped in front of a pair of large doors that had a handful of small children. The first years talked vividly of their new adventures and their knowledge of the wizarding world. Alisha became fascinated by them, eavesdropping on many conversations as they waited patiently for the doors to open. Some were talking about the classes, the houses (whatever those were), and the outside events. Alisha then thought back to the previous conversation. 'Joining the first years to be sorted' ... Sorted into what? Someone cleared their throat loudly and all talking ceased. Everyone directed their attention to the woman who had brought Alisha here.

"Hello and welcome to Hogwarts. My name is Professor McGonagall, professor of Transfiguration. Tonight, you will enter the Great Hall and be sorted into the four houses of Hogwarts. As some of you may know, Hogwarts was founded by four great witches and wizards and each founder has their own house. There's Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. Now, when we enter the Great Hall, I will call each of your names. When I call your name, please step forward and sit on the stool. I will then place the sorting hat on your head and it will announce what house you are to be in. Follow me," she said. She turned and waved her hand. Loud buckling and the turning of gears could be heard as the two great doors opened to reveal a magnificent hall. The celing was higher than any celing she had ever seen before. It reflected the weather outside, for no stars could be seen. Candles hovered above illuminating the hall. Alisha and the first years walked up to the front. On a stool sat an old, battered hat. The woman, Professor McGonagall, walked right up to it and opened a scroll. She called out the first name. One by one, the first years were sorted and went to their assigned tables. Alisha looked back behind her, attempting to look for a familiar face. She spotted a bloch of red, but her attention was diverted when she heard her name being called.

"Alisha Hinston," Professor McGonagall said. Alisha turned around to see that she was the only one left. She walked briskly to the stool and sat down quietly. She suddenly felt something placed on her head and her eyes were instantly covered. A voice drifted into her thoughts.

"Ahhh, I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see you," the voice said. Alisha began to panic. Hearing voices was never something good. "Not to worry. This is a voice you should be hearing. Now, on the subject of what house to put you in," the voice assured. Thoughts swarmed through her head. "Very kind and charitable, but your mind astounds me. Maybe Ravenclaw would be best for you. It's all in your mind. But you have a history. You could succeed in Slytherin," the voice continued. Alisha's mind went blank. She didn't know where she wanted to go. Which house were Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny in? "Gryffindor?" the voice questioned, "You wish to be in Gryffindor? You could do well there as well. Your heart is as pure gold, I can see many great things coming from you. Many difficult choices await you. We'll see how you do- GRYFFINDOR!"

Instantly, her vision was restored. Clapping erupted from the table to the middle right. Assuming that was Gryffindor's table, Alisha walked up to try and find at least a familiar face. She spotted Ginny and she instantly scooted over to make room for her. Alisha squeezed in. Ginny was about to introduce her to the guy sitting across from her when a voice towered above the others. Professor Dumbledore stepped up to a podium and all talking ceased.

"Welcome all to Hogwarts! I am proud to see all the new and returning faces for this upcoming year!" he began, "Now, as with every school year. I must address some rules. The Forbidden Forest is strictly forbidden. Also, with recent events, new regulations on curfew are posted in each of the common rooms and will be read accordingly. All students must remain in their common rooms by 10 o'clock each evening. All students years 1-3 shall be escorted by a teacher or a 6th or 7th year student to their classes. Leaving the school grounds is absolutely prohibited." Many students groaned with the onslaught of new rules. Alisha looked around, not really knowing weather to be disappointed or not.

"Now that's taken care of, I invite you to- dig in," Dumbledore concluded with a smile. Suddenly, mountains of food piled up in front of them. Many students filled their plates eagerly. Alisha took a few things to fill up her plate and ate slowly. She wasn't too hungry, but she had to eat to avoid Ginny's pestering. All she wanted to do was curl up into a ball and sleep. Ginny then proceded to introduce her to several people in which Alisha didn't internalize a single one of them. She was too tired. She ate quietly and then scanned the table for someone besides Ginny. She spotted Hermione across the table about 10 people away. Alisha excused herself from the table and walked down to where she was sitting. Across from Hermione was Ron and to his right was Harry.

"I'm sorry, but if one of you are done, would you mind showing me where the common room is? I'm really tired and just want some sleep," she said. Harry and Ron turned around. Ron had some food coming from his mouth, which was common and a full plate ahead of him. Hermione still had a good amount of food left but Harry looked as if he was done.

"Sure I'll take you up there," Harry said, "But we need to get the password from-"

"It's Wingleberries. We were told so at the meeting," Hermione stated. Alisha smiled at her and thanked her. Harry stood and began to walk out of the hall. Alisha followed him. It was a good thing that she was leaving. She could feel her eyes drooping and her head beginning to pound. If she didn't go to bed soon, she wouldn't fall asleep at all. Harry led them through staircases, several halls, and through many doors. Alisha knew she was bound to get lost here. Her head began to pound harder. Her feet were dragging. She almost tripped walking up the steps. Just as she thought she was about to collapse, Harry stopped in front of a large portrait. There was a very large lady, dressed in a light pink dress, with dark brown curls cascading down her shoulders. She sat there rather proudly, waiting for something from Harry.

"Password?" she said haughtily.

"Wingleberries," Harry replied. She nodded and the portrait swung open. Alisha's head began to spin. She felt like she was moving as she was standing there. All she could remember was someone calling her name as her world went black.

"Oh yeah! Sure was a bright bloody match! Did you see- oh, hey Harry," Ron said walking into the room. Harry stood there, changing his shirt into something more comfortable for night time. Three other boys filed into the room. They all walked over to their respected beds and changed into bed gear. One boy walked into the bathroom. Ron climbed under his covers as did the two other boys. The sound of running water could be heard.

"So, as I was saying, did yo-"

"Guys, I have a problem," Harry burst. All heads turned to him. The water stopped. A boy with brown hair peeked out from the bathroom.

"Well, sure Harry. We've known that for years. Glad you're figuring that out now," he said in a thick Irish accent. The other boys laughed. Harry turned and walked over beside his bed

"No, guys. I mean, we have a problem," he said flipping the covers on his bed. There lied Alisha, her head rested peacefully on the pillow, one hand next to it.

"Geeze, Harry. First night back and you already have a girl in your bed," a boy with dark skin joked. He as well as the two other boys laughed while Ron stared at the figure unconsious in Harry's bed.

"Harry, what is Alisha doing up here?" Ron questioned.

"Well, we were just about to enter the common room when she fainted. I didn't know what to do with her- I mean, I wasn't just going to leave her in the common room and we can't go up to the girl's dormitories so I figured that I'd just bring her up here," he explained. The boy in the bathroom disappeared. The rest of the boys roared with laughter.

"Why don't you get Hermione now, she can take her to her room," suggested Ron. Harry nodded and with a sprint was out of the room. The boy in the bathroom reappeared, shirt in hand as he walked over to his bed.

"She's a good looking dame, wouldn't you say?" he said thoughtfully, putting on his shirt.

"Don't get any ideas," Ron said in a low voice.

"Woah mate! Just making a general observation! You couldn't deny that she was pretty too, could ya?" the boy defended. Ron sighed and looked at her for a long time.

"Yeah, I guess you have a point," he said, "But don't get any ideas, Seamus."

"Yeah, yeah, don't judge a book by it's cover. But, I gotta wonder- what's she doing coming to Hogwarts now? Where's she from anyway?" the boy, Seamus, asked.

"She's from the United States. She's a- a-"

"-Foreign exchange student," a voice chimed. In walked Hermione, Harry close at her heels. "I hope you boys are decent. Sorry I budged in," she said.

"Foreign exchange student? How long will she be here for?" another brunette boy asked.

"I don't know, I never got around to asking her," Hermione replied. She walked over to Harry's bed and took a look at Alisha. She clicked her tongue. "She's really out cold," she said. Suddenly, she whipped out her wand. Wand aimed at Alisha, she flicked her wand upward. Alisha was then hovering in the air. Hermione smiled at herself before bidding the boys good night.

"Hermione's easy on the eyes too, wouldn't you say?" Seamus said after she left.

"Shut up, Seamus," Ron growled. Seamus climbed into his bed, chuckling at Ron.

Hermione brought Alisha up to their dormitories and lied her on her bed. Hermione walked over to her own bed.

"Who's that?" asked one girl with curly, blonde hair.

"Alisha, she's a foreign exchange student from the United States. I'm sure she'd love to tell you all about herself in the morning," Hermione said sleepily.

"Why were you carrying her up here with magic?" asked the other girl of what looked to be Indian descent. Hermione climbed into her bed under the covers before answering.

"She fainted outside of the common room. Harry was with her and brought her up to his room not knowing what to do," she said.

"That's why Harry was calling you then?" the blonde haired girl questioned, "I thought he was about to profess his undying love for you."

"Oh please. That's just sick," Hermione said sharply. The girls giggled as Hermione lied down and turned her body away from them. She was tired and wasn't feeling up to playing the 'Who do you like?' game that night. The two continued to talk into the depths of the night, gossiping vividly about people that had done wicked things over the summer vacation. Hermione was brought up out of her sleep when she heard Ron's name being said.

"I'm so glad we're back in school! I hope that something sparks between Ron and me," the first girl said.

"Ron? As in Ron Weasley?" the second girl inquired.

"Yeah! I mean he's so smart, funny, nice, not to mention good looking," the first girl said dreamily.

"I think that Seamus Finnegan is nice," the second girl said.

"Seamus? Come on, Parvati. You can do better than that pervert," the first girl scolded.

"Oh, and you and Ron is going to happen," the other girl, Parvati, sneered.

"Oh it will, just you watch Parvati," the first said, determination etched in her voice, "I'll make sure of it."

"Whatever, Lavender. I'm going to sleep. Good night," she said.

"Good night, Parvati," Lavender said. The lights went out and now all the girls went to sleep, some more peacefully than others.

Harry lied there, staring up at his canopy. He never did draw the curtains like he usually did at night. The other boys were all asleep now. Ron was snoring loudly and occasionally mumbling incoherent words at them. Neville and Dean's curtains were drawn, but he assumed they were asleep. It wasn't a rare occurence that Harry was the last to fall asleep at night. He would always lie there, thoughts plagueing his mind. If he did fall asleep, it was usually restless. He would toss and turn ferociously. He normally had nightmares.

Tonight, he wasn't tired. He was cold, hollow, and wishing for someone or something. He was lonely. More lonely than he had felt in a long time. The losses he had experienced were beginning to hit him hard. He thought of Cedric, Sirius, his mom and dad, and all that had died because of him. Because of Voldemort. His heart dropped.

More people were probably going to die soon. Die because of him.

Harry shook his head. He couldn't think like that. He wasn't forcing them to fight for him. They were fighting on their own free will. They were all there to support him. Support the cause. He couldn't help but feel a little bit respocible for them, though. They were all fighting for him, yet choosing to do so. All of them but-

He shook his head again. Alisha would smack him for thinking such a thing. But she was the only one.

She was taken from her home and brought over to a new continent unexpectantly. She had no idea of what had happened to her mother. She left everything, her friends, her school, her family, all just for him. She was chosen to fight in this war that she had no connection to except for him. She had no free will. She was being forced to use her powers for them. For him. He felt so selfish. He would have never allowed this to happen if he had known. If only Voldemort wasn't after him. If only Voldemort had never happened.

But then he would have never met her.

He hadn't known her for long, but he had grown rather attached to the young mage. Her smile was intoxicating. Her laughter even more so. She was kind and forgiving, but strong and brave all the same. There were so many things that he didn't understand about her, but he couldn't bring himself to ask her. She was always so welcoming, though, which was bizzare. She accepted everyone, no matter who they were. He could talk to her for hours if they sat down and actually did (which they had). She was like him in a lot of ways. In some cases, unfortunately like him. She was emotional and very quick to anger. When she was upset, she had a very sharp tongue and was rash. She was impulsive and didn't like when things didn't go her way. She could be lazy with her school work, though, from what she had told him. She was also known as a gossiper at her old school.

"Don'- don'- stop it, Fred!" Ron murmured loudly. Harry was startled by his sudden outburst but quickly recovered. With a sigh, he sat up and walked down to the common room. It wasn't doing him any good lying there waiting for sleep to cover him. He sat down on the couch across from the fire. He stared at the flames. How he wished he had Sirius's company now. He sat there for a while, letting the warmth of the fire fill him. There was some creaking behind him. He turned around to see Alisha, still in her robes, groggily rubbing her eyes. Harry's heart skipped a beat. He ignored the sudden rush but welcomed the company. Alisha stood there at the bottom of the staircase, her arms at her sides. She stood there, not moving more than a few inches. Harry began to wonder if she was awake or not.

"Why am I standing here right now?" she asked out of the blue.

"What do you mean?" Harry replied, more than confused by her outburst.

"I mean, the last thing I remember, I was not here. Or in a bed. I was outside of the- common room?" she said. She cocked her head to the side as she stared at the door out of the common room. She began to walk towards it. When Harry saw this, he quickly stood up and rushed over to her.

"You're not allowed to exit. It's 2 in the morning. You should probably go back to bed," he said, concern saturating each word.

"I don't remember where that's at," she admitted. Harry sighed.

"What do you mean you don't remember?" he said.

"I said it. I don't know where I was sleeping at," she said.

"But, you were just there," he said exasperatedly.

"If you didn't notice, I was a bit out of it and I still am," she retorted.

"Not anymore," he murmured.

"What was that?" she replied curtly.

"What was what?" he asked.

"Watch yourself, Harry," she bantered. They both walked over to the couch and sat down.

"Can't you just show me where my dorm is?" she asked. Harry shook his head.

"Boys aren't allowed up there," he answered.

"You can get away with it once, can't you?" she persisted.

"No, boys literally aren't allowed up there. The stairs turn into a slide if we set foot on it," he said. Alisha yawned.

"Bummer," she said. They sat there in silence, listening to the cackling of the fire.

"Why did you come down here anyway?" Harry questioned, breaking the silence.

"I was confused. I didn't know where I was so I went on an adventure," she answered.

"An adventure?" he asked, disbelief etched in his voice.

"Yeah, anything you do in which you have no idea where you're going or any idea of what you're doing is quite an adventure. Wouldn't you say?" she answered. Alisha was beginning to remind him of Luna.

"I guess you can look at it that way," he said.

"Why are you down here?" she shot right back at him.

"Couldn't sleep," he said.

"Simple enough," she said, "But I'm tired. Mind if I use you as a pillow?"

"You're not going to try and find your bed?" he asked.

"At 2 in the morning? I don't want hoards of angry girls mobbing me for interrupting their beauty sleep," she answered.

"Fair enough," he replied. Now that he had thought about it, it would be a bit rediculous if Alisha went around to all of the rooms looking for which ever one was her's. He felt extremely stupid for saying it and could feel his cheeks grow hot. He felt someone then poking his legs. Alisha was nearly lying down. Her body was propped up on her left elbow.

"Could you move your hands?" she asked.

"I never said 'yes' to being your pillow," he said.

"You never said 'no' either. Please?" she pleaded. With a sigh, Harry moved his hands. Alisha smiled brightly at him before resting her head in his lap. Her right hand moved to rest on his thigh comfortably. Harry rested his left arm on the arm of the couch but was flustered as to where he was going to place his right arm. He felt too opened and exposed to leave his arm on the back of the couch, but didn't want to risk making Alisha uncomfortable by placing it on her-

"You can touch me. I'm kinda touching you, so I don't care," Alisha said with a small yawn. That solved that problem. Harry placed his hand on Alisha's arm, gripping it very softly. It felt nice to have someone there. Someone he could feel, physically. Within seconds, Alisha's beathing had evened and she had fallen asleep. He stared in wonder at her. She was so nice and beautiful then. Most of the time she was anyway. Thoughts swarmed his mind. He moved his hand up into her hair without loosing contact. He began to run his fingers through it very slowly. Alisha, in her sleep, hummed softly and gripped his leg tighter. He had no idea what he was doing. In the back of his mind, someone was screaming at him to stop doing whatever he was doing because it was- weird. Harry ignored the voice. It felt nice and it felt so right to just be here with Alisha like this. He was so comfortable around her when he had settled in. He continued to run his fingers through her hair. Harry looked up into the fire to see that it had grown. He was confused at first but then realized that it must have been Alisha's subconsious doing. As he stared at the fire, he stroked her hair. He could feel his eyelids growing heavy. He shifted ever so slightly to get a little bit more comfortable. Alisha shifted a little bit too. He yawned and propped his head up with his left arm. He felt happy and content with her. The happiest he had actually felt in a very long time. Within moments, he too had fallen asleep, not caring on what would happen in the morning.

"Harry..."

"Harry?"

Harry's eyes slowly lifted. He didn't want to wake up. He yawned slightly and looked up at whoever was calling his name. Hermione stood there, dressed for the day. It was way too early for someone to be up already he thought. The sun was still rising. It couldn't have been more than 7:00 A.M..

"Harry, were you down here all night?" Hermione asked, disapproval marked all over her face.

"Not all night," he answered truthfully. Hermione then looked down at the scene before her. Harry then looked down too. Alisha had turned over, her head now facing his stomach. His right arm had drooped over her waist and down her back. Her left arm was gripping onto his shirt. She still slept soundly and Harry partially envied that.

"How long were you down here then?" Hermione inquired.

"Well, I came down here at about 2. She was down here... oh, I don't know Hermione. What time is it now?" he said while taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. It was far to early.

"It's almost 7:00. You should probably go upstairs so the other boys don't panic when they see your bed empty," Hermione said. Harry looked down then looked back up at Hermione.

"You have to get her up first," Harry stated. Hermione sighed.

"I'm not going to wake her up. She'll punch me or something. She's not much of a morning person, especially when she was sleeping well. The only time she's happy in the mornings is when she wakes herself up with an alarm or something. Anything else, she wants to murder it," Hermione said. Harry took his right arm and shook her lightly. Alisha grunted softly and Harry looked up at Hermione, eyes wide. He shook her again.

"Why?" she said, her voice crystal clear. Harry was startled by her.

"Go to your room. Hermione's here to take you there," Harry whispered. Alisha groaned before sitting up. She sat there for a moment, recounting what had happened recently, then stood. Harry instantly missed the contact when she had sat up. He felt as if he were hallow again. Alisha offered a hand for Harry. He was slightly confused but nevertheless pleased with the gesture. Hermione had turned away and was walking back to the girl's staircase. Harry took Alisha's hand as she helped him up. They stood there for a few seconds just holding hands. Before Alisha let go, she gave his hand a small squeeze and leaned into him.

"Thanks," she whispered in his ear. She then let go. Chills ran up and down Harry's spine. The way her breath collided against his own skin made him shiver. Her hair was so soft, her touch so gentle but firm. He longed for the warmth of her hand in his own. He shook his head. What was going on with him? He was becoming an insane, hormonal teenager because of one girl! He looked at the girl's staircase to see that the two had already made their way upstairs. He sighed, disappointed, then returned upstairs to get ready. There was no way he was falling back asleep after that.

The rest of the day was bland. They went to breakfast, received their timetables, then went to class. Alisha was the only one in the 6th year to not go to class. Instead, she took a test. It was referred to as the O.W.L.s. It was some basic stuff and some things she had never heard of. Mostly magical creatures. She never took much of an interest in the class and she had only done enough to get a passing grade back in America. Defense Against the Dark Arts was also one of her weaker points. When asked about certain spells and which attacks they repel, Alisha froze. Usually when she was stuck in difficult situations, she would resort to her powers and she had never really been pushed to those limits except in training. Often times, she forgot she had a wand. Potions wasn't too difficult for her. She had excelled in the class but never really thought much of it. She had liked making healing potions, though. Transfiguration wasn't bad either, but still Alisha struggled at times to remember spells. When she walked in to take the test, she had felt confused. She walked out the same way. She had always been so reliant on her powers that she never felt the need to study too hard in school. She was told to wait outside the testing room once she was done. She did as she was told.

"Ms. Hinston," a voice bekond. Alisha turned to see the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, in her presence.

"Yes?" she responded.

"Would you please accompany me to my office? We have a few matters to discuss," he said. Alisha nodded and followed the headmaster as he began to walk away. They stopped before a great statue of some sort of bird.

"Lemon Drop," he said. The statue than began to spiral upward, revealing a hidden staircase below it. Alisha followed the professor up into his office. When they entered, the headmaster took a seat behind a large desk. Alisha followed him up to his desk and stood before it.

"Now Alisha," he said, his voice grave, "I understand that the curriculum at your previous school was different from the curriculum we have here at Hogwarts." Alisha nodded, not blinking once. His office was full of different things. Beside his desk sat the most beautiful bird Alisha had ever seen. It was a pheonix, perched magestically on its place. The walls were decorated with portraits of people and various books.

"We have just examined your O.W.L.s and were wondering what you have chosen for a career path," he said. Alisha looked up at him. She hadn't given it much thought.

"Well, professor, I'm not really sure," she replied. He bowed his head slightly at her response.

"I see. Well, you achieved Outstandings on Potions, Transfiguration, Herbology, and Muggle Studies. You recieved Exceeds Expectations on Astronomy, Charms, and Divination, but your Defense Against the Dark Arts, Arithmancy, Care for Magical Creatures were low. Now, we have arranged a variety of scheduals for you based on your performance on the test and what you would like to do for your career. With your job now, however, we insist that you take some sort of Defense Against the Dark Arts. You must not rely strictly on your powers," he said. Alisha looked down. She should have trained harder in the states. She still didn't know all there was to know about being a mage and her wizardry was mediocre.

"Well, I have thought about healing," Alisha admitted. With this, Professor Dumbledore smiled.

"A wonderful choice, Ms. Hinston. We have a timetable set up for you for this path and I say your scores are more than welcoming for this carreer. You have all the requirements for your N.E.W.T. classes. Now, today I have set up for you to study with Professor Snape, our Defense Against the Dark Arts mentor. You are to meet with him in his room at 1:20 today which is after the lunch period. I suggest that you rest up or study up until then," he said. Alisha gave him a small smile before heading towards the door. Before she turned the handle to go down the magic staircase, she turned to the headmaster.

"Um... Professor," she said, "is there any sort of map or something that you could get me so I could find my way around school?" His eyes twinkled with amuzement. He waved his hand whistfully and instantly a parchment flew into his hand from one of the many bookshelves. Alisha used her wind power to fly the parchment over to her. She thanked him and left the office.

"Hey guys, how were classes?" Alisha asked. An irritated Harry walked in and sat down next to her on the couch. Hermione was beaming as she strided through the common room. Ron looked indifferent and exceptionally tired as he sat down in a chair right beside the fire. Harry sighed and put his head into his hands. Alisha leaned over in an attempt to gain eye contact, but she failed. "I'm taking it as a bad time to ask that question," she said.

"Snape is horrible. Just a mild warning if you're taking Defense Against the Dark Arts," Harry said. Alisha cocked her head to the side and then leaned back into the couch.

"I'm not taking the class, but I am getting private tutoring from him later," said Alisha. Harry looked up at her with a wicked smirk on his face.

"Two words. Good. Luck," he said. Alisha frowned. Sounded like great fun to her.

"Well, how about some food to cheer you up?" she said with as much pep in her voice as she could manage. Ron raised an eyebrow at her. She immediately looked down, dejected.

"Sure! Let's go, Alisha!" Ginny's voice said from behind. She and Harry jumped from the unexpected outburst. How long had she been standing there?

"O-Okay," Alisha said wearily as Ginny grabbed her arm and pulled her up from the couch. She proceeded to drag her towards the door out of the Common Room. They walked out at a brisk pace. Ginny twisted and turned through several hallways, but avoided the stairs. Alisha was beginning to get confused. Wasn't the Great Hall downstairs? They slowed their pace down as they reached an empty hallway. Ginny stopped in front of an abandoned classroom. She opened the door and pulled Alisha in. There room was dusty and a little bit of natural light shined through the windows. There was an odd looking mirror on the celing that Alisha couldn't get her eyes off of. The floor was covered in a thick blanket of dust. Behind her, Ginny shut the door. She turned around to face her. Her eyes were fierce and determined, catching Alisha off guard. She walked a few steps closer to her.

"What do you do when you have a boyfriend but you like somebody else?" Ginny asked her quietly. Alisha was confused. Why did Ginny go to her and not one of her other girl friends?

"Uh... I don't know. I guess I would say listen to your heart and do what you think is right. Don't keep dating the other guy if your heart's not into the relationship," she replied. Ginny sighed.

"I'm really sorry, but that answer sounds like a broken record," Ginny said. Alisha shrugged.

"I don't know what else to tell you, Ginny. I don't really have... well, that's a lie," said Alisha. This caught Ginny's attention.

"What's a lie?" she questioned.

"That I don't know what you're going through," she answered.

"What do you mean?" the red head asked. Alisha looked down.

"Well, I was dating this guy and then I started to like somebody else. This other person said that he liked me to so I broke up with my boyfriend. Unfortunately, he didn't take it too well, the other guy got a bit scared and backed out, and I ended up getting back together with my boyfriend. It was a big mess... a lot of people hated me for what I did," she answered. When she looked back up, Ginny's eyes were wide.

"Don't hate me for saying this, but I don't blame them," Ginny said. Alisha blushed violently. Her eyes flashed defensively.

"Hey! The one girl was just using me as a scapegoat to cover up her own shit! Don't turn my story against me!" she proclaimed angrily.

"It still doesn't change what you did!" Ginny shot right back at her with such conviction. Alisha was caught off guard and felt as though she had been slapped.

"Well, I'm not the one with the problem right now, am I?" she said, venom dripping from each syllable. Ginny glared at her.

"I came here for help, not one of your stupid stories," Ginny spat. Alisha turned to walk away.

"Maybe you should have asked somebody else. I gave you your advice, now can you lead me back to the common room?" said Alisha. A sigh sounded from behind her. Alisha turned around to see Ginny crying. A mix of guilt and confusion swept over her. She walked over to the crying girl and immediately embraced her. "Aww, Gin, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get so worked up," she apologized.

"No, Lish, I'm sorry. I didn't really mean what I'd said- I just... I just got... you know," Ginny said through sniffs and sobs. Alisha hugged her tighter.

"Is it coming around 'that time'?" Alisha questioned. Ginny looked down with a light blush on her cheeks. Alisha grinned a little and gave her a few light pats on the back. She felt a little less hurt and guilty knowing that Ginny wasn't really that upset with her. It was simply her body doing what it does. "Ahh, well, that explains. Come on, let's grab some grub quick. I've got to get going for I have a date with Professor Snape," Alisha said as she lead Ginny towards the door. Ginny looked up to her with a disgusted face.

"Professor Snape? Oh, do I feel sorry for you," she said as she straightened up a little. Alisha released her and gave an exasperated sigh.

"Is he really that bad?" Alisha asked. Ginny gave a small nod as a smirk glided across her face.

"I'd rather be trapped with a warewolf on a full moon than Professor Snape. And you have a date with him," she teased. Alisha gave her a small glare before they made their way back to the common room.


End file.
